Curbside recycling collection will be temporarily suspended in Danville beginning on Monday. The suspension announced by Republic Service is due to the closure of Lexington’s Material Recovery facility which accepts Republic’s recyclable materials.

According to a letter from Republic Services to Danville City Manager David Milliron on April 8, the temporary suspension of recyclables is “due to excess contamination” and the fact that, “The facility is expected to be shut down for at least four weeks for critical maintenance. Any material placed in the recycling carts will be disposed of in the landfill during the suspension. The same collection vehicle will service both the waste and recycling carts at each location.”

Milliron said the city has no other option than to have Republic pickup all waste materials and haul it to the landfill.

Other changes being implemented by Republic Services, which are related to COVID-19 governmental emergency regulations, that Danville has agreed to include the following adjustments, Milliron wrote in a news release. “We do not anticipate any widespread service disruptions to waste collection in Danville,” he wrote.

• Only residential solid waste carts should be placed on the curb for pickup.
• Temporary suspension of bulk collection services. “These are less critical services to run during the pandemic and will free up Republic’s resources and assets to focus on solid waste pickup,” Milliron wrote.

In an email to Milliron, Gregory Butler, manager of multiple sales for Republic wrote, “We have sufficient capacity to service Danville, every day, as scheduled, and do not anticipate any widespread service disruptions to waste collection. We are not requesting a rate increase, nor do we anticipate needing one if Danville approves these mitigation measures.”

However, if Danville residents want to continue to recycle, they may take their recyclable items to the county recycling center on the bypass, said Boyle County Solid Waste Director Angie Muncy.

The center accepts dry paper. But if it’s been contaminated by wet garbage, “Then it’s just trash,” and can’t be recycled. She said residents can bring all of their papers, like newspapers, magazines and junk mail, to the center in plastic bags to keep dry.

The recycling center also accepts only #1 and #2 plastics, cardboard and steel and aluminum cans that have been rinsed out, “Otherwise, they’re contaminated and are just trash too,” she said.