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Local voices: What’s up with Surprise, Valley recycling programs?

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Local residents react to news about Surprise and Glendale, among other cities, changing their recycling programs in response to worldwide recyclables market changes.

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Halting recycling

Beginning August 19, the city of Surprise will temporarily divert recyclable materials to the landfill as it researches cost-effective solutions to mitigate the impacts of increased recycling operational costs. — Surprise City Gov.

Follow rules!

That’s happening in Glendale too. People just don’t follow the rules. — Sylvia Rivera

Ditch the bags

It’s not just following the rules. Other parts of the world, like China, used to buy a huge chunk of our recycling; they no longer buy as much. Product suppliers need to majorly reduce using plastics bags and containers and non-reusable materials. — Lindsay Federico

Oops!

I could swear that clean glass was also acceptable; oops. — Gina Paganucci

Take my money

I would be willing to pay more to know my recyclables are actually going to the recycle center. — Melinda Robbins

Easy bein’ green

As far as aluminum cans and plastic bottles, there is a place you can drop off and receive money by Food City on Grand. If the city won’t help us recycle, we can do it on our own and make a little green while going green. — Mikey Jones

Dump it

Well, if they’re not profiting off our recyclables, then of course there going to shut it down. It cost more money and energy to recycle a bottle then it does to simply make a new one. If you think the program was around to help the environment, you’re wrong. It was brought about to try to make money off free waste products. It’s finally caught up and it’s not worth it to them. So, off to the dump it goes. — Matt Esco

Nice racket

Yes, and they recently raised rates anyway, so why are we paying more for a discontinued service? I found it interesting that we actually pay extra for them to pick up our recycling that they then sell? The Mafia would be proud of this arrangement. — Margaret Sheehy

Upset

That actually makes me angry. My kids and our entire family work hard to clean and separate recycling. It is so important and makes me frustrated that it will end up in the landfill. — Megan M. Towe

Old news

Most of your recyclables have been going to the landfill for a couple of years now, don’t let them lie like it just started. — Octavia Mills

Profit deal

They probably weren’t getting paid as much to do what they’re doing, so of course again it’s about the dollar. — Catherine Walters

What else?

This will be the first city in the metro area to do this, but not the last. There is no market currently buying the recycled materials. The only solution I can see is designating a location in the landfill for recycles and when the market demands them mine them and recycle them. Obviously, the city would want to recycle the material, but if there is no end purchaser how do you recycle them? — Kyle Huttenhow

Why wait?

If you knew this was a problem in 2017, why wait three years to “researches cost-effective solutions”? I’m very disappointed in the city for this. — Jason McConnell

Recycle all

It should have been put into practice, no product can be put into production unless every bit of the containers can be broken down and reuse. — Darline Johnson

recycling, Opinion