CLEVELAND (WJW) – The FOX 8 I-Team has uncovered every dime you’re paying for recycling in the city of Cleveland only to have bottles, cans and plastics dumped in a landfill.

Records released to the I-Team show the city spends $14 million a year to collect recycling. Yet, as we’ve reported, for nearly a year, all of that has gone where the rest of your trash goes — the landfill. 

Back in April, the I-Team revealed what city hall had kept secret. Crews started sending everything picked up for recycling and garbage to the same big dump. Months later, it is still happening.

The city keeps sending trucks down every street to pick up trash, and crews also go down every street in separate trucks to pick up recycling. Again, all of it goes to the same place.

Now, we can show you the cost of the recycling even though it all simply gets dumped. Records show the city is spending more than $4.5 million on workers and nearly $10 million on trucks and equipment and more.

Taxpayers we’ve met as we’ve investigated this are fed up.

Months ago, city hall hired a consultant to fix the recycling system. No report from the consultant is back yet. We’ve asked when can we expect it? City hall says soon. Maybe even within a matter of days.

And yet, a questionnaire just went out to people around the city.  Asking do you recycle? What do you recycle? Do you want a choice?  Are you willing to pay more? And, what would make you want to recycle more?

We’ll report the results of the survey and any recommendations from the consultant.

Meantime, you’ve told us you’re tired of paying for recycling to have your money go to waste.

Now, we’ve found the bill: $14 million bucks to have separate trucks pick up your bottles and cans and plastic and take it all to the landfill.

Get the latest headlines on FOX8.com below: