Mayor says city has confronted Republic over missed recycling routes

Mayor Tom said the city has received a "rash of complaints" about missed recycling pickups and has already confronted the contractor, Republic. "Republic has been missing routes. Republic has been AWOL, giving bad service," he said, and added the city planned a formal follow-up with the mayor and law department.

The mayor framed the problem as partly structural: he described a national recycling market decline after China reduced imports, which lowered revenue from materials and made local recycling programs harder to sustain. He warned that if Republic cannot fulfill the contract, residents could face higher costs or more recyclables ending up in the trash.

City staff told viewers they had begun meetings with Republic and would press the contractor on service performance; the livestream did not include new contractual terms or a timetable for resolution. The mayor urged residents to report missed service through the city's communications channels so staff can track complaints.