Councilman Boucher Explains Troubles with Recycling Talks [VIDEO]

City Councilman Grayson Boucher talks about the apparent standoff between the city, Pratt Industries and Republic Services, an impasse that could end Shreveport's recycling program.

As reported on KEEL, the city collects $2.50 a month from approximately 66,000 homes. However, the numbers show only about 13,000 residents actually take advantage of the recycling program. According to the soon-to-expire deal, the city passes that money to Republic. Meanwhile, the city pays for the blue recycling bins, which, according to the city, cost about $65 each. The monthly recycling fee generates nearly $2 million every year for the city.

The current contract between the city and Republic Services is est to expire at the end of October.

"The way I understand it," Boucher says, "Republic is getting the $2.50. Pratt was recycling what they could and the rest was turned into a sludge.That was sent out to a landfill. There was a fee attached to that which Republic was getting, so they were able to make a little bit of money off of that. But I don't see how Republic could do this for $2.50 per household."

And if recycling in the city ends, would citizens stop paying the monthly recycling fee? "If we cannot get a contract," says Boucher, referring to the plan to seek proposals for a new recycling plan, "I would support that, yes. We need to be as transparent as possible with what we do with your money and I would support that."