Betty Lin-Fisher: Akron checking recycling carts again; here's how to recycle locally
Betty Lin-Fisher
Workers inspecting recycling carts will be returning to Akron starting next week.
It’s part of a continued effort by the city of Akron and partners to help educate residents on how to recycle properly.
As a refresher, the rules of what is recyclable became more limited a few years ago as China, the world’s largest buyer of recycled materials, tightened what it would accept. Too many bundles of recycled materials have become contaminated with other materials, making them worthless.
Current recyclable materials are plastic bottles and jugs (throw away the caps), aluminum and metal cans, paper, cartons and cardboard. You can read a lot of coverage I have done by following links below in this story.
Labels do not need to be removed before recycling, but make sure any plastic with food is washed or rinsed.
Some changes have to do with technology at the facilities not being able to sort out the different elements, such as bottle caps and bags (which fall off on the conveyor belt or clog machines) or those disposable aluminum pans (which, though aluminum is recyclable, the machine reads the flat bottom of the pan and thinks its cardboard, thus sending it to the wrong bin). Similarly, aluminum foil is too small for the machines and not recyclable.
Nov. 2, 2018:Recycling rules are always changing
More:Nov. 9, 2018: Here's the latest on how to be green
More:Dec. 14, 2018: Recycling questions processed
More:Feb. 22, 2019: Let's focus on what can be recycled - and a Target solution
More:Aug. 16, 2019: Akron adjusts its recycling
More:July 31, 2020: Betty Lin-Fisher: Recycling and reusing during COVID-19
So what is Akron doing?
Through grants, the city’s partner in Keep Akron Beautiful is leading the recycling monitoring and education efforts. The program started with cart inspections in 2019 for all of the city except West Akron. Last summer, crews did West Akron and this summer all recycling carts in the city will be inspected four weeks in a row starting June 7.
Akron is the only city in the state that received additional funding to monitor the whole city, said Jacqui Ricchiuti, CEO of Keep Akron Beautiful.
“We're trying to make the recyclables cleaner so that we can continue to [offer recycling],” said Ricchiuti.
Offering the cleanest stream of recycled materials to the facilities that sort and ultimately sell the materials is the best way to ensure those materials are reused instead of going to the landfill, she said.
Twenty local workers have been hired to inspect the recycling carts, with most being returning workers.
The monitoring and education effort will work like it did in the past.
Inspectors will be working in teams of two and will take a look inside the recycling carts on the same routes throughout the city. They will not be digging through the recycling, but doing a visual audit. If they see something that should not be recycled, they will leave an “Oops” tag to notify the resident what needs to be removed before the following week’s pickup.
New this year is also the ability for inspectors to use an app to record the items that generated the Oops tag. Residents will then be able to get targeted educational mailers, said Ricchuiti.
Here’s a list of the biggest things that should not be in recycling carts, but often are: plastic bags (recyclables should not be bagged and should be loose in the cart), yard waste, gardening pots or containers, pizza boxes, containers with food residue, big bulky plastic items (like toys) and plastic wrap.
Most of those things should go in the trash, with the exception of the plastic wrap. I’ll get to that in a bit.
“We want people to [recycle], but we want people to do it the right way,” she said. “If they’re not going to do it the right way, we’d rather they throw it in the trash.”
The city will remove recycling carts for repeat offenders. The city used to offer a $2.50 credit for residents to recycle, but that credit was removed last year during budget cuts. About 150 households removed themselves after the credit went away, said Chris Ludle, director of public service.
But the city “found that removing the credit actually had a significant positive impact on the quality of our recyclables,” he said. In May 2019, before the first monitoring program, the recycling contamination rate was 39.3% In the most recent audit, it was 21.6%. “That means in two years, we have nearly cut our contamination rate in half," said Ludle, adding that the goal is to get it to 15%.
For questions about the program, contact 311 (330-375-2311) or www.akronohio.gov.
What about other cities?
The simpler recycling rules are the same for all communities in Summit County, statewide and regionally, said Marcie Kress, executive director of ReWorks, the Summit County agency tasked with educating the public about residential recycling and reducing landfill waste.
There may be some private haulers or area community programs that have other recyclable materials listed on their “acceptable” list, but Kress said the best advice is still to stick with the shortened list to keep the recycling stream as clean as possible.
Glass is also still a hot issue and in the Akron area; Cuyahoga Falls is the only community still accepting glass in its curbside program and pays its recycler to accept glass. There are also some communities whose private recyclers do accept glass; follow the literature you get. If you are unsure, don't recycle the glass.
What should I do with things not on the list?
If you are in doubt, throw it out. While a lot of people still think the recycling symbol or the number on the bottom of the plastic means it is recyclable, Kress said that was meant to indicate what type of plastic was used and does not indicate that it is recyclable.
In your recycling cart, you should only put plastic bottles and jugs (without caps). That means anything that has a neck that is smaller than its body.
A reader in 2019 asked me about the recycling containers inside Target stores. I confirmed in 2019 and just reconfirmed this week with a Target representative that you can take many plastics that aren’t accepted in curbside programs and recycle them at the store.
I’ve been doing this regularly since 2019, though I took a break during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic when we were stuck at home. I have a separate container at home for our other plastic, like takeout containers, yogurt and sour cream. The Target program also takes glass, cellphones and ink cartridges.
Additionally, Target has a container for plastic bags or stretchy materials. They have a slightly different program than the boxes outside grocery stores, but they accept the same thing: bags and stretchy plastic wrapping.
The Wrap Recycling Action Program (WRAP) bins at grocery stores will take more than plastic bags, including bread bags; dry cleaning bags; zip top food-storage bags; plastic overwrap on paper towels, napkins, cases of water bottles or other toiletries; plastic newspaper delivery bags; bubble wrap, shipping pillows and some plastic envelopes (all-plastic envelopes can go in the store-side bins; paper envelopes with a plastic window can be placed in the home curbside recycling bins and padded envelopes should be reused and then thrown in the trash).
Last year, I also confirmed that the stretchy Amazon plastic envelopes can be put in the grocery store bins for plastic bags. Remove as much of the mailing label as possible. For more information, go to www.plasticfilmrecycling.org.
What if I have other recycling questions?
ReWorks has a helpful website, www.summitreworks.com, with a section to find out where to recycle other things. You can also contact ReWorks at 330-374-0383 or talk@summitreworks.com. It will also be opening the Household Hazardous Waste facility in Stow on June 3.
What else can I do?
Consumers can have a larger say in changing the rules by purchasing items that are recyclable or not purchasing items in containers that aren't, and speaking out to the manufacturers, said Kress.
“We encourage waste reduction first, recycling second,” she said.
I know some people get discouraged by the new recycling rules and say they may quit recycling. Kress encourages people to stick with it.
“It reduces waste in the landfill, helps with preservation of natural resources and helps support the recycling industry, which supports jobs.”
Here's the Recycle Right schedule when inspectors will be looking at carts
JUNE 7-JULY 2
Monday: Glenwood Neighborhood, Chapel Hill
Tuesday: West Akron — North of Copley/High Hampton Bath Crest Estates, Willow Run
Wednesday: South Arlington Corridor/Neighborhoods to the West of Arlington
Thursday: Summit Lake, Fairlawn Heights
Friday: Kenmore, West Akron — North of Copley
JULY 5- 30
Monday: North Akron — North of Tallmadge/All streets off Cuyahoga Falls Ave
Tuesday: Goodyear Heights, Ellet
Wednesday: Goodyear Heights/Mason Park, Arlington Corridor/ Neighborhoods to the East of Arlington
Thursday: Firestone Park, Manchester Road neighborhood near Reimer CLC
Friday: West Akron — South of Copley, Kenmore
AUG. 2-27
Monday: Near City Hospital/Goodyear Heights near Tallmadge border
Tuesday: Goodyear Metro Park area/Betty Jane CLC
Wednesday: University of Akron/South Akron
Thursday: Carnegie/Hancock allotment
Friday: West Akron — South of Copley/Alaska Streets, Copley Rd-Hartford to Corp Limit
Beacon Journal staff reporter Betty Lin-Fisher can be reached at 330-996-3724 or blinfisher@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow her @blinfisherABJ on Twitter or www.facebook.com/BettyLinFisherABJ. To see her most recent stories and columns, go to www.tinyurl.com/bettylinfisher.
