Ruston suspending recycling

Ruston is suspending its household recycling program Aug. 1.

That’s because after a month of searching, the city’s found no place to take recyclables in the wake of a fire that destroyed the Texas processing center it had been using.

“We have searched far and wide for an alternative and have not found one within a reasonable driving distance,” Mayor Ronny Walker said Tuesday afternoon.

Recycling customers will not be charged the $10 monthly fee for as long as the pickup is on hold.

Walker said he’d talked with a potential recycler Tuesday afternoon, and if the city and company can come to terms, he’ll rescind the suspension.

“We are actually looking every day,” he said. “I want to recycle.”

The blue recycling bins will be emptied on schedule this week, but thereafter customers should put everything in their household garbage can.

Ruston has been sending its recyclables to Rivers Recycling in Kilgore, Texas. But because of the fire, Rivers has suspended its recycling operations. Rivers notified the city of the fire June 20.

Walker said Rivers has told him it will take them six months to rebuild the facility.

Even though the city’s continued to pick up recycling since then, the paper, plastic, and other items have gone in the same waste stream as household garbage. 

Rivers was the only single-stream recycling facility between Dallas and Ruston, according to a story published in the Kilgore News Herald. Single-stream recycling, which is what Ruston does, means recyclables don’t have to be separated prior to pick up. 

Ruston has about 800 recycling customers, most of whom are inside the city limits.

Walker said he’s holding out hope a solution will be found soon.

“Something will work out within the next six months,” he said.