Recycling Could Be Ending in Shreveport

It looks like the days of recycling in Shreveport could be coming to an end. The city's current contract with Republic Industries is not being renewed and city leaders are scrambling to find another company willing to take on the recycling program, but that has not happened yet.

KEEL News got this statement from the city:

Effective October 10, 2020 the City of Shreveport will suspend curbside recycling while working to secure a new recycling option. While working to secure a new recycler the Public Works Solid Waste Department will pick the recyclable materials as trash.  We are asking everyone to place all of their waste in the green trash cans until a new contract is in place.  This will help Solid Waste be more efficient in collecting the trash.  The collection of the $2.50 recycling fee will be suspended after recycling services stop.

Gary Norman, Director of Public Works.

Pratt Industries has had a deal to take the recycling contents collected in Shreveport. Republic Services has provided the collection of the recycling on a bi-weekly basis. But that deal has unraveled. The city collects $2.50 a month from about 66,000 homes. But the numbers show only about 13,000 residents actually recycle. The city passes all of that money to Republic and the city pays for the blue recycling bins (which cost about $65 apiece).