Recycling in Cleveland restarts with new opt-in program

In the spring of 2020, many residents of the city of Cleveland were shocked to learn that items they were faithfully separating from the trash and putting into their large blue recycling containers were - in fact - being shipped to landfills, right along with the rest of their trash.

Then Mayor Frank Jackson announced that the recycling program had ended, because of rising costs, and an inability to secure a contractor for the service at a price the city was willing to pay.

The Bibb administration came into City Hall with the goal of restarting the program - but hit its own snags in the last 6 months.
Finally, after two years of inaction - Cleveland residents who opted to join the program -- that's the big point there... can start recycling this week.

Today on the Sound of Ideas, we look at how we got to this point with Cleveland's recycling saga.

Later in the hour, a project at Kent State University that pairs college age students with older adults, to discuss life experiences. It aims to foster intergenerational learning through the creation of visual art pieces.

Lastly, another episode of our music podcast 'Shuffle'. This week, Amanda Rabinowitz talks to female rapper Chanelle Kadazi, who’s making waves in a normally male dominated genre.

- Nick Castele, Senior Reporter, Ideastream Public Media

- Jessica Barness, Associate Professor, Kent State University

- Stefany Belasic, Student, Kent State University

- Ron Garchar, Retired electrical engineer

- Chanelle Kadazi, Musician

- Amanda Rabinowitz, Host "All Things Considered" and Shuffle, WKSU