Tucson May Stop Recycling Newspapers, Some Glass

TUCSON, AZ — The City of Tucson is considering suspending recycling collection of glass bottles and newspapers, according to an AP report. Financial losses in the program caused officials to weigh the option of limiting the service.

The decision comes over a year after China, the destination of much of the U.S.'s recycling, adopted a law further restricting the amount of contamination they're willing to accept in the imports of recyclables.

"These restrictions have resulted in a significant shift in the recycling markets and logistical operations worldwide," the city said on its website. "This action is forcing municipalities in the U.S. and across the globe to re-evaluate their waste diversion programs and its cost-effectiveness."

The Arizona Daily Star reported the city expects to lose $3.3 million to its recycling program, six times higher than last summer's prediction.

One money-saving option the city is weighing is to scale back recycling to twice monthly and charging 75 cents monthly for the service, up from 45 cents, the Daily Star reported.

"It’s a problem all across the country. Some cities are just throwing paper and glass away," said Councilman Paul Durham said in the report. "I don’t like the choices because people like to recycle. They like to believe that by recycling they are helping the environment."