CLEVELAND — The City of Cleveland announced this week the planned resumption of the city’s recycling program has been delayed after the city could not reach a contract agreement. 

The city had expected to resume recycling service by the first quarter of 2022. Nearly 27,000 households signed up for the recycling program.

“Earlier this year, the City selected a new recycling vendor. However, due to Cleveland’s history of excessive contamination, including yard waste in recycling carts, the City and the vendor were unable to agree on contract details,” Mayor Frank Jackson’s office said in a statement. “Services for a new vendor will now need to be rebid, resulting in a revised program start date.”

Jackson’s office said earlier this year when the service begins, pickups would be held biweekly. 

The city said it suspended its recycling program in 2020 due to “high contamination rates and inability to solicit a favorable contract for recycling processing services.” City officials said it would require participants of the new recycling program to sign a pledge agreeing to the program’s guidelines.

In a survey of recycled materials in September 2020, 62% of the material turned out not to be recyclable, according to a report prepared for the city. The report, which was prepared by GT Environmental, found much of the material consisted of non-recyclable plastics and cardboard. 

The report conducted an audit of other cities’ recycling programs and found an average of 19.7% of materials were made of contaminants. Some of the cities, however, accepted small metal appliances, rigid plastics and plastic tubs unlike Cleveland.

Mayor-elect Justin Bibb said that the city needs a “more cost-effective vendor and a public education campaign to prevent costly contamination in the waste management process.”

Bibb will take office next week, replacing Jackson.