We were somewhat surprised to learn that Nashua’s city-wide recycling program is on schedule to run out of money by the end of March.

During a special Tuesday Board of Aldermen meeting, officials from the Nashua Solid Waste Department and Public Works Director Lisa Fauteux told board members the recycling plan needs a boost of about $120,000 to continue through the end of the current fiscal year: June 30.

If board members do not allocate the $120,000, their employees told them they will simply have to take all paper, plastic, metal, glass and other materials to the city’s landfill until July.

Last year, officials agreed to provide $400,000 to operate the FY 2019 recycling program, but they now anticipate these funds will run out by March 31. Officials identify the Chinese government as the primary culprits of the recycling dilemma.

Tuesday, officials said the city’s single-stream recycling program began in 2008. Today, city officials collect recycling from 24,000 residences throughout Nashua on a bi-weekly basis, they said.

Because so many Nashuans pride themselves as being good stewards of the environment via the practice of recycling, we believe city leaders should ensure the program continues for this year by allocating money to keep it going.

However, Mayor Jim Donchess and BOA members should now account for the changing recyclables market in the FY 2020 budget. They should evaluate whether their current methods of recycling can be adjusted to account for these rising costs.

Perhaps, there are more innovative ways to deal with recyclable material than are now in practice in Nashua. Even if this turns out not to be the case, we doubt it will hurt to city leaders to ask.