Recycling

Where Did All The Cleveland Drop-Off Recycling Bins Go?

Diane Bickett

Recently, the District has received many calls from people wondering what happened to their neighborhood drop-off recycling bin. They are referring to one of the hundred or so drop-off recycling locations that the City of Cleveland has provided for many years.

The recycling drop-off locations provided a convenient way to recycle for residents, apartment dwellers, small businesses and institutions. The problem was that the drop-offs also provided an easy way for people to dump construction debris, furniture and other household trash which turned the recycling sites into illegal dumping grounds.

This is a very common problem with recycling drop-offs everywhere, not just in Cleveland. Unfortunately it’s the taxpayers and recyclers that bear the cost of removing and disposing the trash instead of the people who do the illegal dumping.

According to the City, the drop-off sites were opened to give residents a temporary way to recycle while it completed the rollout of its curbside recycling program. They soon realized that maintaining them was expensive and problematic. Now that citywide curbside recycling is in place, Cleveland made the decision to remove the neighborhood recycling bins. This action left the people that have come to rely on the bins with no convenient way to recycle.

So what happens now that the bins are gone?

First, understand that offering recycling services within commercial properties like office buildings, apartments, retail shops and local institutions is the responsibility of the property owner in much the same way that trash collection is but with one major difference. Recycling is an optional service.

In order to convince property owners to provide recycling services, the property owners first need to know their tenants want it, even demand it. Then they need to know how to offer the service and how to pay for it. That is where the Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District can help. Our Business Recycling Specialist can assist property owners and managers with finding a cost-effective solution using one of the many private recycling services available within Cuyahoga County. The District also offers seminars and hands-on assistance and training to help start a commercial recycling program.

Meanwhile, for the committed recycler (thank you), consider taking your cans, cartons, glass, paper and plastic bottles home to recycle or drop them off at Cleveland’s Ridge Road Transfer Facility located at 3727 Ridge Road. This facility is open Monday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and accepts glass, paper, plastic, metals and cardboard.

Also visit CuyahogaRecycles.org for all your recycling information or call (216) 443-3749 for assistance.

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