The Cincinnati Recycling & Reuse Hub will start charging a fee Jan. 1, 2026 for dropping off general recyclable items.
At a warehouse in Lower Price Hill, the Hub takes things that aren't accepted in curbside bins and recycles them. It's taken plastics, metal and textiles for free since it opened to the public in 2021.
Executive Director Chad Planner says the Hub has seen a 50% increase in the materials it's received this year. He says implementing a fee is necessary to sustain the organization.
“It's really hard work and things are tough,” Planner said. “These funds will help us with processing the materials properly, and then free up our donations to help in what we think is our primary mission: outreach and education.”
The Hub operates several programs, including collecting materials from food pantries, distributing donated shoes and pill bottles to local nonprofits, and holding electronic waste drop offs in low-income neighborhoods. Planner says all of the Hub’s initiatives are focused on keeping waste out of the landfill.
Starting in 2026, there'll be a one-time fee of $15 to drop off recyclable items at the Hub. That will give you unlimited visits for a month.
Annual memberships also can be purchased for $120, allowing you to make unlimited visits all year. You can buy a “Hub Club” membership online or at the Hub.
The process of dropping off materials at the Hub will stay mostly the same. There will be a new check-in process at the Welcome Desk.
Planner says making sure the Hub’s services remain accessible to everyone is top of mind for the organization.
“There are a lot of ways that we can really make this work for everybody,” Planner said.
He says people already have offered to buy “scholarships” to support people who want to drop off items to the Hub, but can’t afford it. The Hub is also looking into providing its services for free through the Cincinnati Public Library’s Discovery Pass program.
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