Bins for Cardboard, Paper Recycling to Stay Put

The green paper and cardboard recycling bins located at fire stations, some parks and outside the Strongsville Food Bank will be remain in place for the time being. 
River Valley Paper initially told Strongsville officials it could no longer offer free pickup of paper and cardboard after mid-March. However, the compnay later reversed its position and said it would keep the bins in place for now.
Residents can also  continue to put their paper and flattened cardboard in their regular curbside recycling.

Until now, River Valley has paid the city for the paper and cardboard it picks up three times a week from Strongsville’s bins. But the market for paper recycling in the United States is oversaturated for a couple reasons:
  1. The Amazon Effect, which refers to the huge increase in cardboard boxes flooding the paper stream with the rise in home delivery of products.
  2. China, which used to handle almost half of the world’s recyclable waste, has stopped accepting shipments of some items, including plastics and paper.
To continue picking up paper and cardboard here, River Valley had said it would have to charge the city for the service. The company said it will continue picking up without charge and evaluate the plan quarterly.
If you want to read more about the global recycling situation, click the link for a story from The Verge, an online magazine.   https://www.theverge.com/2019/12/2/20986298/cyber-monday-black-friday-amazon-effect-recycling-cardboard-shopping