Residents are invited to attend meetings to learn about the upcoming newly enhanced curbside recycling program. The meetings will take place on Monday, April 17, at City Hall, Community Room number one, at 7 p.m. There will be a Shred Day on April 22 from 9 a.m. to noon, at Memorial Park. A meeting will take place directly after the event at the City Hall Community Room number one, at about 12:30 p.m. The program is scheduled to start on May 1.
City Council accepted the bid of Rumpke Waste & Recycling Services at their January 17 meeting. This comes after Council reviewed several options for trash and recyclables. A resolution accepted the bid of Rumpke for waste and recycling services, as the lowest and best bid of for an amount not to exceed $7,707,045.45. The new five-year contract runs from May 1, 2017 through April 30, 2022, unless the contract is renewed. The agreement provides for two additional one-year terms. The new contract remained the same, except for the curbside recycyling. Starting on May 1, residents will be supplied with blue bins for Rumpke to pick up. They will provide automated recycling pickup for the recyclables only.
Mayor Bob Stefanik said that after a meeting with members of the Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District, data showed that once a city offers automated recycling the amount recycling had gone up from 20-60%. He noted that the increase in recycling would bring the cost of the new program down to what the city is currently paying. Council President Larry Antoskiewicz said that some have gone up dramatically, such as Beachwood at 63% and Parma Heights at 134%. “I think the transition is well worth it,” he added. “It will be a test for full automation, plus it will save the city 15% in tipping fees.” Over the life of the contract, it could save the city about $120,000 if the recycling goes up 20%, $350,000 at 30%, according to Antoskiewicz.
Stefanik said that residents will see no difference in pickup, other than the recycling bin will be placed instead of their own garbage cans. “They just have to make sure that the bin is positioned properly.” Rumpke Waste & Recycling will provide all residents a 64-gallon recycling cart for the curbside recycling program. Delivery of carts will occur the last week in April on your regular pick-up day and residents will start utilizing the bins on their regular pick-up day, starting the week of May 1. According to city officials, “Combine the following items loose, not bagged, in the 64-gallon recycling cart, aluminum and steel cans, cartons, glass bottles and jars, cardboard and plastic containers. There is no need to separate!”

By GLORIA PLEVA KACIK
Contributing Writer