CLEVELAND (WJW) – The FOX 8 I-Team has found the number of people taking part in the City of Cleveland’s new recycling program has more than doubled nearly a year after the program started.

The new program began in the wake of what the I-Team had exposed.

We revealed that all recycling collected by city crews simply got dumped in a landfill.

A completely redesigned recycling program began last June with residents signing up to take part.

Recycling Coordinator Ren Brumfield says now, more than 70,000 people have signed up, and that is more than double the number from last June.

Brumfield also said people taking part now are, generally, doing the right thing. Not putting trash in with their bottles, cans, and plastics.

The coordinator added, “A couple of years ago when we lost the recycling program, we were up above 60 percent contamination rate. Of what was sent in for recycling, over 60 percent of that was trash. So now we’re at 15%. We’re so much better than we used to be.”

This summer, the city plans to make another push to educate folks on what to recycle. And, the City continues to try to get more people to sign up.

Sign up for the recycling program here.