Rising costs in the recycling industry have forced Paola city leaders to consider possible changes to its current service, which is provided through a contract with Waste Management.
City Manager, Sid Fleming, says Waste Management is dealing with rising recycling expenses due to Chinese Recycling Contamination Import Restrictions that were recently implemented, and that increased cost could get passed along to Paola customers in the form of a fee increase. It was not finalized whether that increasing expense would be passed on to residents. City Officials did say the amount the city charges residents for trash and recycling is very close to what the city must pay Waste Management, so the operation is nearly break-even.
Another option would be to decrease pickup of recyclables to every other week, but Commissioners feared people would just throw them away if they were not picked up weekly. No official decision was made on the issue.
