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Columbus changes recycling trailer rules, reduces hours after contaminated loads rejected
Summary
City staff announced a pilot tote system, reduced hours and new sorting rules for the recycling trailer after a Norfolk vendor rejected a contaminated load; Keep Columbus Beautiful volunteers will be on site to educate users for about a month.
City staff reported to the Columbus City Council on May 5, 2025 that the city will change operations at the recycling trailer after a mixed load was rejected by a vendor in Norfolk.
Staff said the rejected load contained tape on cardboard, food residue (pizza boxes), unflattened boxes and plastics. To reduce contamination and reduce the risk that an entire semi load will be rejected, the city will pilot a tote system that separates cardboard and paper fibers into separate containers so staff can remove a single contaminated tote rather than reject a full truckload.
The rules for the trailer were restated: cardboard and paper fibers only; boxes must be flattened; no adhesive tape on boxes; no pizza boxes or food‑soiled containers; no plastics or cans. Staff said acceptable box size is limited to 2 feet by 4 feet.
New temporary hours will be Tuesday 8 a.m. to noon and Wednesday and Thursday 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.; Keep Columbus Beautiful volunteers or staff will be on site for roughly a month to educate users. Staff said they considered community service crews for sorting but that such volunteers would require close supervision, so the city did not adopt that approach for now.
"People need to play by the rules. They need to read the rules down there," staff said, summarizing the operational change; staff also said an Omaha vendor agreed to accept the current mixed load so the city could resume collections while the pilot is implemented.
The report was informational; no formal council action or ordinance was taken at the meeting.
