Officials throughout Augusta County still looking for new recycling options

Back in March, Staunton, Augusta County and Waynesboro

for recycling and changed the way they're recycling glass due to a change in how a local recycling processor operates.

Officials say there are still other ways to address the plastic issue.

"The major thing is reducing and trying to reuse," Augusta County MS4 coordinator Morgan Shrewsbury said. "Reusing bags and finding secondary uses around the home for those products, but unfortunately, right now we're looking at focusing on education on how to reduce."

In April, Sonoco Recycling, the processing center in the area, stopped accepting plastic and glass.

Recycling costs have been skyrocketing across the U.S. over the past year due to changes in China. Essentially, China is no longer accepting much of the United States' reclaimed waste, which was previously exported across the Pacific Ocean for processing.

Now, with a decline in international demand, in addition to low oil prices making plastic production cheaper, thinner packaging for bottles and cans, and lower pint newspaper circulation, the recycling market has faced a much lower demand for plastic, sending processors like Sonoco into a recycling dilemma that's then transferred to local counties, towns, and cities.

Augusta County is still pursuing other options.

"We're currently looking at other avenues for plastic recyclers," Shrewsbury said. "We're also looking at trying to do what Harrisonburg has already done and diversify our recycling program as well."

While Harrisonburg no longer collects plastics three through seven, they still

for recycling, and that covers most water and juice bottles, milk jugs, shampoo bottles, and similar household items.

Also at Monday night's Augusta County recycling committee meeting, they focused on their recently finished spring cleanup and how they can improve it for next year.