Douglas County says it has a recycling crisis. As KLCC’s Brian Bull reports, that’s the status of every municipality contending with so-called “wishful recycling.”
It’s been said that the road to Hell is paved with good intentions. In this case, it’s people throwing things into the recycling bin that they’re not sure is recyclable…but maybe could be recyclable. This includes garden hoses, spoiled food, and even used diapers.
Tonya Osborne, of Douglas County Crisis Communications, says that over time turned off the West Coast’s biggest customer.
“China…who used to buy the bulk of recycling products, they were getting recyclable stuff that was contaminated with other things that were not recyclable, or in other terms, garbage.”
China has since set contamination limits for recycling that are hard to achieve.
Lane County’s Waste Reduction Specialist, Sarah Grimm, says many communities are changing their programs.
"We’re seeing a backlog, we’re seeing a slowdown," says Grimm. "But so far I’ve not heard of any need to dispose of collected recycling, which we fear might have to happen at some point.”
Grimm says consumers can help by purchasing reusable items.
Copyright 2018, KLCC.
