Curbside program changes after China refuses to accept recycling

Jackson County, Ore.- The recycling crisis is hitting home. Last year, China announced it will no longer take all of our recycling.

Now, local recycling companies are forced to rework how they operate and decide what to do with your waste.

Rogue Disposal and Recycling has been working on its policies and announced beginning March 1, its curbside program will only accept certain items. They include newspapers, corrugated cardboard, tin and aluminum cans, and milk jugs.

“We are going to be restarting our curbside program to accept those materials only,” Garry Penning with Rogue Disposal and Recycling said.

Items like plastic and mixed waste paper that used to be a part of the program are now becoming trash, but executives hope to change that over time.

“We are hopefully overtime we’re going to be able to divert that material out of the landfill and back into recycling markets,” Penning said.

Another thing to note: glass materials will no longer be accepted in the curbside program. You’ll have to bring those empty bottles to recycle depots.

In the meantime, Rogue Disposal and Recycling is still looking into other international and domestic markets to dispose of its waste.