Cleveland’s lapsed recycling contract a political issue

A mid-May Cleveland City Council hearing witnessed several council members express dismay that the city’s government had let its recycling processing contact lapse starting April 1. Since that time, recyclables placed curbside have been collected in a separate truck only to go directly to a landfill.

A May 18 online article by Cleveland Scene says the city’s chief operating officer and its “sustainability chief” faced tough questions and accusations from council. Lack of communication was one fault cited, with one council member saying she felt “blindsided” by not finding out about the expired contract until nearly one month after it had lapsed.

The two officials said the city attempted to rebid the contract, only to receive one offer that would have had the city paying $192 per ton for curbside collected materials to be sorted.

According to earlier media reports, quality issues have played a major role in the lack of attractive bids, with the city itself indicating as much as 68 percent of the material placed into bins was not considered recyclable by previous material recovery facility (MRF) operator Kimble Cos.

In addition to a list of questionable fiscal decisions and practices—including the city continuing to send out recycling collection trucks even after the contract expired—some council members pointed to environmental shortcomings.

“When I recycle my pop can, I’m not doing it for the financial benefit of the city of Cleveland; I’m doing it because it’s the right thing to do,” Cleveland Scene quotes one council member as commenting.