One recycling option would include schools

TEXARKANA, Texas — One of the curbside recycling options under consideration by the City Council would allow households to recycle only paper and cardboard, and it would include cardboard collection at schools.

Because a Shreveport, Louisiana, processing plant stopped accepting mixed recyclables — paper, cardboard and certain plastics and metal — Waste Management since last month has been burying those items collected at Texarkana residences in its New Boston, Texas, landfill. At its Oct. 12 meeting, a WM representative presented the Council with three options for what comes next: restrict curbside recycling to paper at the same cost to residents, continue with mixed recycling at increased cost or eliminate the service, saving residents money.

Under the paper-only option, residents could continue putting paper, newspaper, magazines and flattened cardboard and paperboard into their yellow-top recycling bins, a WM spokesperson said. No other recyclables would be accepted.

Paper-only curbside collection is viable because WM has an established market for the cardboard it collects through a commercial program that serves about 60 Texarkana businesses.

A pilot expansion program to collect cardboard at local schools would come with the paper-only option. WM would place cardboard collection containers at schools for six months at no charge. The containers would be modified so they could be barred shut for student safety, and cardboard could be put in only through a narrow slot.

City staff suggested the schools program as a way to involve students in recycling efforts. WM also considered a similar pilot program at local apartment complexes, but schools will be better able to ensure that only cardboard goes into the containers.

Moving to paper-only curbside collection would not change residents’ monthly garbage bills, now just under $21 a month, and the change could happen in 30-45 days.

Continuing with the mixed, or single-stream, recycling that residents have become accustomed to would raise residents’ garbage bill by about $4 a month. WM would reopen a local transfer station so the company could transport recyclables to its own processing plant in Little Rock.

Other steps such as licensing staff and amending the city budget mean this plan would take months to implement.

Eliminating curbside recycling would save residents about $3 a month.