Wooster to switch to biweekly curbside recycling starting July 1; address-based map and online calendar to help residents

The City of Wooster will change curbside recycling collection from weekly to biweekly service beginning July 1, city officials announced at the June 16 council meeting. The change is tied to a new contract approach the administration said will lower the monthly residential fee to $17.

What residents need to know: The administration said a public poll and outreach showed broad acceptance: 493 public responses were received and 72% of respondents said they were supportive or neutral to the change. City staff said 72% also indicated the change would have little to no impact on their household.

Access and support: To help residents track their schedule, the city will publish an address-based map on its website that assigns each address to Week 1 or Week 2; the site will also provide a rolling schedule for 18 months. City staff said residents can still drop high volumes of recyclables at two community drop-off locations: behind Buehler’s Mill Town and a second site at the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center on Selby Road.

Operational details and cost: The administration cited contractor data indicating that only about 62% of households put out recycling weekly and that many households do not fully use the collection container — factors used to justify moving to biweekly collection and to maintain or lower service costs. The mayor and public works staff said the change should reduce resident rates and that staff will promote the online tool and social media guidance before the switch.

Implementation timeline: Biweekly service begins July 1. Residents with June 30 Monday pickups will receive their regular collection; the new biweekly cycle begins the following Tuesday. Staff said they will continue to answer questions via the city website and by phone.