I’m happy to announce that recycling will be returning to Cleveland on June 13, 2022.
The Cleveland recycling program was put on pause in April 2020. If you’re curious about why it was put on pause, you can read more about it in the article I published in the Cleveland Catholic Worker newspaper in summer 2020.
In the meantime, Cleveland was doing an extensive recycling audit, finding a new company to work with, and recently signed a contract with Rumpke - who will now pick up recycling (and actually recycle it!) from Cleveland residents who opt-in to the program.
Your address must be enrolled in the City of Cleveland's recycling program to participate. You will receive a list of recyclable items, stickers to put on your blue bins, and educational information in the mail after enrollment.
Patches from my 2016 show, “Trash Love”
Between April 2020 and June 2022, if you lived in Cleveland and were putting recycling into the blue containers, it was getting picked up and sent to the landfill.
But, if you opt-in (and put the new stickers from the welcome packet on your blue bin) your recyclables will now get picked up by recycling trucks and get recycled.
Starting the program fresh, in my opinion, was the best way to restart and properly educate residents on what can be recycled - starting small and building as they go.
Recycling infographic I made in 2019. This will be updated in the future to reflect the new recycling changes.
Recycling is not a perfect system. Metal, paper, and cardboard are valuable, sought-after materials and have the best chance of being recycled into new products. Glass is less valuable, and plastic even more so (only about 9% of plastic gets recycled, and it is always downcycled). There are alternatives for reducing consumption and waste, so that we are less dependent on recycling (that’s why I’m so into zero waste!).
Zero Waste Zines
In 2018, I completed the Cuyahoga County Master Recycler program.
During the course, I learned all about what can and cannot be recycled,
information on the recycling industry, and what resources are available
in the Cleveland area.
Additional Links
Here is information on the program from Sustainable Cleveland
Cleveland names Rumpke as recycling processor -
Press release from the City of Cleveland
Frequently Asked Questions from the City of Cleveland
The Dirt on the City’s New Opt-In Recycling Program from The Land