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District seeks changes to school recycling after processing problems with bagged material
Summary
Capital and operations staff told trustees they are working with city partners, U‑M Recycle Ann Arbor and local advocates to redesign school recycling after bagged recyclables were not being processed; recommendations and potential county partnerships are expected in the coming weeks.
Capital and operations staff told the board on Sept. 17 that the district is reviewing how schools collect and move recyclables after persistent problems with bagged recycling prevented materials from being processed as intended.
Mister Bing said the district has worked with city staff, University of Michigan Recycle Ann Arbor and local advocates and will meet the county next week to explore partnership options. "We've been looking at practical solutions to address the challenges," he said, noting tradeoffs in container logistics, contamination and costs.
Trustees asked whether switching from plastic to paper bags would help. Staff explained paper bags can be more difficult to use when recyclables are contaminated with food or liquid, and that liners and bags historically helped keep recycling containers clean and simplified moving materials into larger outdoor dumpsters. Staff described a potential two‑container outside system and said education, container tops and operational details are central to success.
Staff said recommendations will be returned to the board in the coming weeks. Named staff who have supported the effort include environmental‑education team members Court Ambroseino and Sarah Hill, Director of Building Services Jody Bollinger, and former AAPS faculty member Dan Ezekiel.
