Cleveland never canned its sustainability aspirations; the city just had to, well, recycle its approach. From now until July 31, residents of the City of Cleveland will have the option to enroll in the new recycling program, which begins June 13.
Enrollment into the weekly collection is not accompanied by any additional fee, nor does it require an annual renewal.
No further action is needed for the more than 27,000 households that enrolled in the opt-in program last fall.
Within 30 days of enrolling, households receive a packet in the mail detailing the program’s dos and don’ts, in addition to stickers for the lid and side of each blue recycling bin, indicating participation.
Through summer, any materials in the blue bins without these stickers will be presumed trash. Come fall, any stickerless bins will be collected by city crews for reuse.
Outlining the dos and don’ts to Cleveland residents may be the new program’s most important initiative. Recycling came to a halt for Cleveland in April 2020, in part because high contamination rates made the program too costly for the city to maintain. Meanwhile, the price for recyclables had fallen worldwide.
So, for those thinking about the Yoplait container they tossed without rinsing (er, as a random example), here are a few of the new program’s ins and outs.
- Rinse out all containers.
- Flatten water bottles as well as pop bottles. Also, flatten cardboard boxes.
- Push lids into their containers if they are attached. Other lids from cartons or cups, as well as straws, should be thrown out.
- Do not stack tubs into each other. Do not place materials in plastic bags or attempt to recycle plastic bags.
- Pizza boxes must be free of excessive grease and the remaining food to be considered recyclable.
Items that CANNOT be recycled include window glass, mirrors, glassware, stoppers, garden hoses, batteries, hangers, electronics, car parts, light bulbs, polystyrene foam, scrap metal and anything flammable or hazardous, such as needles or medical sharps.
- Glass bottles or jars are accepted, regardless of color.
- Other welcome items include magazines, newspapers, phone books, junk mail, paper bags and paperback books.
