The Texarkana, Ark., Recycling Center is not closing as reports Friday indicated, but instead will operate on a limited basis while the city resolves a temporary gap in staffing.
A news release issued early Friday by Recycling Coordinator Brandy Chewning said the center would be closed indefinitely, but later in the day, city officials said that information was incorrect. The center, at 2601 Dudley St., will continue to be staffed, but will not accept any plastics until further notice.
Staffing changes and difficulties posed by the changing international market for recyclable materials are responsible for the temporary reduction in services.
Chewning, the center's only staff member, resigned her position earlier this week and will no longer work for the city after March 20, Public Works Director Tyler Richards said.
A Street Department employee will attend the center to accept residents' recyclable paper, cardboard and metal as the city explores two options for replacing Chewning, Assistant Public Works Director Tracie Lee said.
One option is to hire an independent contractor to take over the city's recycling operation. An interested candidate will meet with City Manager Kenny Haskin and staff on Monday, Lee said. The second option is for Haskin to waive the municipal hiring freeze now in effect and fill the position.
The center is unable to accept plastics because of trade restrictions imposed this year by China, which imports more recyclables than any other country.
China has stopped importing certain types of recyclables and no longer accepts shipments of recyclables containing more than .5 percent contamination, forcing exporters to seek new markets and sort more carefully. Locally, that means difficulty in finding a destination for the plastics collected by the Arkansas side.
"Until that's figured out, we can't accept plastics (at the Recycling Center) anymore, which is a big part of what we did down there. If we did continue to accept plastics, it would become a massive expense on the city that we just can't afford," Richards said.
The city will continue to accept plastics, along with paper and cardboard, at its monthly Green Texarkana recycling drive. Green Texarkana takes place from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the second Saturday of each month at East Third and Hazel streets downtown.
"Basically, we are reverting back to the way things used to operate," Chewning said. "Green Texarkana is how recycling was born in our City, and we are going to keep that going. It will be more user-friendly for many residents, since it offers Saturday recycling and single-stream collection."
Chewning has held the recycling coordinator position since 2012. The Recycling Center opened in August 2014, with construction funded by state grants, according to previous Gazette reports. At the time, Chewning warned residents that market forces would affect the center's operations.
"As buyers change what they want, we will have to change what we give them. It's going to be a learning process, but it's a challenge we are excited to take on," she said.
On Twitter: @RealKarlRichter