East Lansing, Lansing to join forces on recycling

EAST LANSING – The East Lansing City Council approved a deal Tuesday to partner with Lansing for its curbside recycling pickup.

The changes take effect Monday and will operate on a pilot basis until the partnership is voted on by the Lansing City Council.

City officials said the agreement will help East Lansing control recycling expenses. East Lansing expects to pay about $82,000 per year under the deal, East Lansing Director of Public Works Scott House said, about $1,000 more per year than it had been paying Lansing-based Granger. Had the city stayed with Granger, costs were expected to increase by about $20,000 a year, House said.

Chad Gamble, Lansing’s chief operating officer and its director of public service, said Lansing’s costs for its recycling program aren’t projected to change.

Recycled material from both cities will be processed by Charlotte, N.C.-based ReCommunity Recycling.

“If we can market (materials) together, it’s better for the region,” Gamble said. “That can only benefit us and (other) municipal budgets.”

Contact Dawn Parker at 517-377-1056 or dlparker@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter at @arwen22266.