Dive Brief:

• Trash collection fees could increase because the Muskingum County Recycling Center in Ohio is operating at a loss, according to Rob Reiter, coordinator for the Southeast Ohio Joint Solid Waste Management District.
• The county stands to lose about $100,000 this year because of a decrease in the price of raw materials, County Commissioner Jerry Lavy said. The recycling center lacks the proper machinery for sorting recyclables, so it compacts the materials -- about 350 tons a month -- and ships them in 15-ton truckloads to the Solid Waste Management Authority in Akron. Center manager Bud Scott said the county paid $400 to ship each truckload, but collected $800 for the material. Early this year, however, prices for recyclable materials plunged to $25 a truckload.

• The center will stay afloat in the short term thanks to $20,000 in funds and $50,000 worth of industrial scales from the solid waste district.  There are no specific plans to raise trash fees.

Dive Insight:

Lavy told the Times Recorder that the county will have to adapt its business model. It now accepts large drop-offs of recyclables from the city of Zanesville and other vendors for no charge. With the donated scales, the recycling center can weigh large drop-offs and charge a fee, which hasn't been determined.

"It's one aspect of our plan to adapt," Lavy said. "The market fluctuates continuously, and we hope the price for materials goes back up, but we need to make changes in order to operate successfully."

Falling commodity prices are a big problem for the recycling industry. The cost of disposing of recyclable materials — especially glass — is taking a toll on companies. In some cities like Chattanooga, recyclables are going to a landfill because MRFs are not equipped to handle glass. In other cities, the cost of throwing recyclables in the landfill is simply less expensive than recycling. 

By asking consumers to pay a recycling fee, some municipalities are able to combat cost issues and keep recycling a profitable business. Additionally, many organizations are making efforts to combat sorting confusions among consumers. Recycle Across America, NWRA, and Keep America Beautiful are all rolling out new initiatives to promote more recycling and ensure it is being done properly — which will save the industry money in the end.