Lexington hires consultant to help reset its beleaguered recycling program

The city of Lexington has hired a consultant to help reset its recycling program and develop short and long-term solutions for the program, which has struggled to find markets for recycled material and has been plagued by equipment break downs.

Resource Recycling Systems has been hired to analyze potential solutions, including:

• Investigating private operation of the city’s recycling center on Thompson Road
• Seeking new markets for paper bales
• Assessing and securing contracts for crushed glass
• Evaluating the purchase of advanced glass recycling machinery

The company, based in Ann Arbor, Mich., will be paid up to $224,855 for its report, according to a contract approved by the council in May. It’s not clear when the group will return with recommendations.

The city halted recycling all paper products in May, which prompted an outcry from many in Lexington who are used to putting office paper, cereal and other food boxes in recycling bins. The center was shut down earlier this month after an aluminum sorting machine broke down, shutting down the recycling center for nearly a week.

The city has worked to improve financial accountability at the Thompson Road facility and tighten operations for years, but it is outdated and does not meet the city’s needs, said Mayor Linda Gorton.

“I want to make changes we need to make and get our recycling program back on track,” Gorton said. “I’m like a lot of citizens, every time I put a piece of paper into the garbage can I feel like I’m doing something wrong.”

Lexington and other governments moved to single-stream recycling in 2010, which means users don’t have to presort recycling before putting it in recycling bins. Single-stream recycling was meant to encourage more people to recycle, but it produces dirtier material.

The Chinese government decided last year not to accept goods from single-stream recycling centers, upending the recycling market. That’s why Lexington had to suspend paper recycling. It could not find a buyer in a crowded market.

The city has said it is in negotiations with two new paper mills that will open soon in the area.

Lexington’s recycling woes are not unique. Other cities and counties have suspended recycling operations all together or have quit recycling paper or glass.

In addition to hiring a consultant, the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council has appointed a special subcommittee to examine the city’s recycling operations.

“Our staff works hard, but they can’t possibly overcome an inadequate facility, equipment that’s outdated and markets that have changed. We need a good plan to move forward,” Gorton said.

This story was originally published June 21, 2019 at 1:28 PM.