recycling dilemma

I am trying to recycle paper, cardboard, plastic and aluminum. The major problem I am having is with recycling contractors. When the recycling market is down, They don't want our stuff. Like right now. So we are having to pay a fee to recycle. That's a bunch of hooey. I am ashamed to tell any of the teachers or students that we are having to pay to recycle because they would drop the program in a heartbeat. Anyone else going through the same situation?