CLEVELAND (WJW)-- The FOX 8 I-Team uncovered a new report telling Cleveland City Hall it should fix its system of collecting recycling by starting over.
Last year, the city started dumping all recycling in a landfill and an I-Team investigation exposed it.
Now, we’ve reviewed a draft report put together by a consultant hired by Cleveland city officials to review the recycling program. City officials hired the consultant to work at up to $205 an hour.
In the report, the consultant said the city should, “reset and rebuild.”
The consultant concluded there are many possible ways to do that. Those include collecting recycling every week or every other week. Another option is collecting it only from people who want to take part in the program or having people take their recycling to drop-off sites.
We met Radu Nica in the West Park section taking in his trash can wondering how much longer it will take to fix the system.
“And, they’ve sort of been dragging their feet. I would like to see a plan and just some dates on the plan as to when they’ll have things up and running again," Nica said.
The report also outlines results of surveys. The surveys show people in Cleveland want their recycling picked up every week, they don't want to have to drive to drop it off and some folks would be willing to pay more for recycling. But, only a little more.
The I-Team has been revealing problems with the city recycling program for nearly two years. Now, the consultant’s report has finally come back while calling for more talk about what to do next and how.
"We need to hit the reset button for a number of reasons," Cleveland Councilman Anthony Brancatelli said.
The councilman has raised hard questions, especially about the city spending money to have separate crews pick up recycling even as it goes to a landfill with the garbage.
Brancatelli said he wants the consultant to highlight the best steps to take. Not, simply what could be done.
"I am fully expecting that the consultant should be coming back saying, ‘Here's our recommended approach for Cleveland specific.’ That was the whole explanation of the study that was done for us," he said.
We reached out to Mayor Frank Jackson's office for comment. What will the city do as a result of the new report and when will some action be taken? As of late Tuesday afternoon, we had not heard back.
Taxpayers have been paying to have recycling dumped with trash in a landfill. They’ve paid to have city hall get advice. Now, the I-Team will be watching to see what new recycling program you get for your money.