Kent City Council votes to release Portage County from their recycling contract with multifamily households
Gershon Harrell
Multi-family households will see a change in their recycle hauler for the upcoming 2021 year.
On November 5, Kent City Council discussed the contract they have with multi-family households when it comes to the recycling of contaminated recyclable items.
Public Service Director, Melanie Baker said that Portage County recycling contaminations are up by 38 to 40% with most of the contaminant recyclables coming from multi-family households who are not recycling properly.
“In the multi-family, what they’re finding is that the residence, while we work diligently with most of the owners, people are not necessarily separating their recyclables from their trash, or they’re putting out pizza boxes that still have pizza in them,” Baker said.
Acceptable recyclable items are metal cans, glass containers and used newspaper, however haulers are finding that residents are throwing their trash with the recyclables.
In the council meeting Baker said, Portage County has found that they cannot dump the trash at the Akron dumping location, which has led to the property owners contacting the city of Kent.
“They understand and then are typically having to call their trash hauler to automatically pull that away,” Baker said.
According to the Ordinance Amendment Chapter 935, multi-family households are homes of a grouping together of three or more billing units grouped together under a common roof.
“Any apartment building, a residential house that maybe has three different units attached to it,” Baker said.
Due to the rise of contaminated recyclables it leads to an increase in dumping fees. Currently, dumping fees are $57.48, but it could be as high as $93 by the conclusion of next year.
Melanie Baker will present the City-County Contract for Multifamily recycling contract.
— Here to Read (@HarrellGershon) November 5, 2020
“Last year we learned about items that would be accepted and items that wouldn’t be accepted.”
“Portage County is not unscathed” when it comes to contamination, Baker said. She believes multifamily households can do better with their trash haulers.
— Here to Read (@HarrellGershon) November 5, 2020
“I am asking for a motion of support and approval to allow us to release Portage County from their contract at the end of this year,” Melanie Baker said.
— Here to Read (@HarrellGershon) November 5, 2020
Kent City contamination level is at 21%. “We feel that multifamily dropoffs are hurting that number.” Additional charges may occur due to levels of contamination.
— Here to Read (@HarrellGershon) November 5, 2020