I have been getting phone calls and emails from residents about this issue, so here is a quick update. Back in December City Council authorized the Mayor to go out to bid on rubbish & recycling collection since our current contact with Rumpke that expires in May 2017. The bids for a new contract included three different methods for collection: manual pick up as it is currently for both trash and recycling, semi-automation which is manual trash and automated recycling, and full automation for both. At the January 3rd City Council Streets Committee the bids were reviewed. Rumpke, Kimble and Republic Waste Services all bid, and Rumpke was the lowest and best bidder for all three methods. As part of Rumpke’s proposal, manual pick-up would cost $7.3 million dollars total for all five years combined. If the city switched to semi-automation of recycling only and provide residents with a free 65 gallon bin with wheels at the bottom but recycling participation remained the same it would cost $7.7 million dollars. Full automation of both rubbish and recycling would cost $8.2 million dollars. The more the city recycles the less it pays in sending rubbish to the landfill. If recycling in our city increases by just 15% then semi-automation would cost $7.3 million the same cost as the manual pick-up proposal. If recycling participation increased to 30% then semi-automation would cost just about under $7 million dollars. Some important things to note. About half the cities in Cuyahoga County charge their residents a fee for rubbish/recycling collection. North Royalton does not charge any fee to residents for rubbish/recycling collection. About 37 out of 39 cities in Cuyahoga County have fully automated rubbish and recycling collection. Only two cities Brooklyn Heights and Lindale have semi-automation with recycling only automation and rubbish being manual pick up. With all that in mind Council is not in favor of full automation. Read More. City Council is considering a new five year contract with Rumpke for rubbish and recycling collection. The contract would have rubbish collection remain the same as it is with manual pick up.  Recycling collection would change to semi-automated pick up where residents can only use a free 65 gallon bin with wheels provided for recycling only. The City Council Finance Committee will be discussing this further at the January 17th Meeting at 6pm and City Council Meeting at 7pm.