Lexington is taking steps to restart paper recycling, which was suspended in May when the city announced it had no buyers willing to take the recycled material.
This week, the city put out an RFP, or request for proposals, to businesses that may want to provide the service. Mayor Linda Gorton says traditional options are no longer available, but that the administration now has a “clear picture of what is needed.”
The city has been working with consultants Resourse Recycling Systems since June to work on an alternative. The mayor says the city hopes to have paper recycling back on line by late fall.
Officials announced in May that paper products – including newspapers, office paper, paper towel rolls, magazines, and cereal boxes – would no longer be accepted.
The reason: Lexington was having trouble finding buyers for its recycled paper, which also comes from more than dozen surrounding communities. The Lexington Herald-Leader reported the city had resorted to giving away the materials for the past few months.
But Lexington isn’t alone – cities across the U.S. have been grappling with a shifting market since China enacted new cleanliness standards for recycled materials.
