Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton has announced plans to start fixing the city’s many recycling problems. In the past two months, the center had to shut down twice because of malfunctioning equipment. Last month, the Recycling Center announced it would no longer take paper products because there was no market for it. The center says all paper products it receives now goes to the landfill.
“Our staff works hard, but they can’t possibly overcome an inadequate facility, equipment that’s outdated and markets that have changed,” Gorton said in a statement released Friday. “We need a good plan to move forward.”
Gorton says, like other people, every time she throws a piece of paper into a garbage can, it feels wrong.
On Friday, Gorton’s office outlined steps to overhaul the city’s recycling program.
The plan includes:
• Development of a short- and long-range strategic plan for recycling in Lexington
• Investigating private operation of the City’s recycling center
• Seeking new markets for paper bales
• Assessing and securing contracts for crushed glass
• Evaluating the purchase of advanced glass recycling machinery.
The city says there isn’t an exact timeline on when it will start making these changes.