Oregon, Ohio, to Suspend Recycling Program

Oregon, Ohio, announced it will suspend its recycling program for two years while it takes time to re-educate the public on how to improve the recycling process.

The move was made due to the dramatic changes that have occurred in the global recycling business, mainly after China stopped accepting some recycling imports from the U.S. due to contamination.

In addition, Oregon officials have noted that a lot of the items that are collected for recycling in the U.S. end up in landfills due to contamination.

The Press has more details:

Oregon plans to suspend its recycling program for up to two years to re-educate the public on ways to improve the process.

China has stopped accepting most recycling materials from the U.S. due to contamination.

 “The recycling world is changing dramatically worldwide,” said City Administrator Mike Beazley at a recent council meeting. “It’s affecting this country and will affect Oregon.”

 “China is closing the gates of accepting so much recycling that we used to send to them. It is going to significantly affect all that we recycle now. So it’s something we’ve just begun discussions on. Right now, there’s only a demand for cardboard and aluminum cans. The rest of it is landfilled,” he said.

Read the full article here.