For years, Cleveland has tried to rebuild trust and participation in its recycling efforts after officials revealed that nearly two-thirds of the material residents were placing in blue bins was actually trash. In response, the city halted curbside recycling operations entirely in 2020. Two years later, under Mayor Justin Bibb, Cleveland relaunched recycling with a new “opt-in” system.
Residents who wanted to participate were required to register with the city and place official recycling stickers on their blue bins. The program was originally described as temporary. Now, four years later, Cleveland leaders say they are still trying to improve participation and educate residents about what can — and cannot — be recycled.
“We’re not perfect, but we are working on trying to get to the place to make this better,” said Cleveland Public Works Director John Laird. According to data presented to the council, the city has distributed roughly 175,000 blue recycling bins across Cleveland.