CLEVELAND — After a two-year stint and expired contract, Cleveland's recycling program is back.
Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb announced back in April that the city selected Rumpke Waste & Recycling to process curbside recycling, which will expand the types of items they can recycle.
“So when we talk about that, 62% contamination rate and how bad the recycling was before, a lot of these items were contamination because they were things that recyclers did not accept in the bin,” said Ren Brumfield, recycling coordinator for Cleveland.
But the question lies what's recyclable and what's not?
Here is a list:
DO’S
Plastic bottles, jugs, tubs, disposable cups, paper, cardboard, cups, metal cans, cups, glass, cartons. The city recommends that you rinse the containers before you recycle them.
DON’T’S
No plastic bags, cassette tapes, bed sheets, hangers, metal chains, garden hoses, batteries, needles, syringes, electronics, polystyrene foam, buckets, car parts, food, yard waste, light bulbs, drinking glasses, ceramics, pots, pans, and scrap metal.
They say if you aren’t sure if something is recyclable, when and doubt throw it out because throwing something in the recycle bin that’s not recyclable can ruin the load.
“Recycling is something you want to do because it's the right thing because that stuff will last a long time in the landfill. It’s reusable. It makes sense to reuse it,” said Brumfield.
It does not cost any money to opt into this new recycling program, but you have to sign up by July 31. So far about 34,000 households have enrolled.
“We have the potential to be a leader and an example of how cities can bring back these recycling programs and how cities can change themselves in a good way. We can be that” said Brumfield.
Once you sign up, you get a welcome packet, a sticker and shortly after, a bin. The city is excited to get the ball rolling but says it'll be a process.
“I would ask people to be patient in the very beginning as we roll out this brand-new thing and understand that we are changing how we've done this from the past,” said Brumfield.
They will have curbside pick-up and two drop-off locations. For questions and enrollment. Click here.
RELATED:Cleveland has a new recycling processor: Rumpke Waste & Recycling
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