EDITOR:

In general, recycling in Delta County, known as “Delta Wide Recycling,” has been very successful, thanks to the millage passed last year by the citizens. There is a temporary crisis looming, though. The manager, Don Pyle, recently returned from mandatory education in Nashville. There, he learned that up until last year, 74 percent of American recycle material was purchased by China. This year, China bought none due to trade disagreements. He expects this to revert to “normal” in two to three years. However, in the meantime, recycle material may pile up. In order to be salable to American purchasers, the recycle material must be of the very highest quality, in other words, without contamination.

Delta Wide Recycle can accept only the following. 1. Aluminum cans, not crushed, not foil. 2. Plastic No. 1 and No. 2 only, no other plastic. 3. Newsprint, catalogs, magazines, dry, no tissue or gift wrap paper. 4. Steel cans — food or aerosol, not their plastic caps. 5. Corrugated cardboard, no shiny cardboard like beer cartons or milk cartons. 6. Office paper and junk mail, absolutely no carbon paper. Please if you are sure we can recycle something, it is better not to try.

Delta Wide Re-cycling can remain successful, if we all work to keep contaminants out of the recycle stream.

Ralph B. Blasier

Escanaba