Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Headline Not Available

Gurdon will soon be participating in a recycling effort as a member of the Southwest Central Solid Waste Management District.

The district, which includes Garland, Clark and Hot Spring counties, agreed to jointly equip a regional recycling center.

This center will be located in Hot Springs at 218 Runyon Street, behind the city sanitation department.

Initially, the center will collect five types of recyclables: newsprint, corrugated cardboard, mixed office paper, clear glass containers and bottles and aluminum cans.

Schools and businesses are welcome to drop off their materials at the center. However, individuals who attempt to take their recyclable goods to the center will be turned away. Citizens are being encouraged to participate through local community recycling programs.

Once these items are collected at the center, they will be baled, or otherwise packaged to be shipped to market for the best prices available.

The cities of Arkadelphia, Gurdon, Malvern, Hot Springs and Hot Springs Village will be contributing their recyclables to the center. The revenue generated from the sale of recyclables will be used to operate the center. Any remaining funds will be returned to the communities contributing materials.

Gurdon Mayor Rick Smith said the city, along with Arkadelphia, received a grant for $30,000 to aid in the recycling effort.

Arkadelphia will be purchasing a truck and trailer to provide curb pickup for recyclable materials, while Gurdon will purchase a roll off container.

This container will be kept at City Hall, where residents can drop off their recyclable materials. Arkadelphia has agreed to bring the truck and trailer to Gurdon monthly and empty the container.

Residents are reminded no household garbage will be accepted for the container. Smith said the city will start by accepting newsprint, mixed office paper and aluminum cans.

The container should be in place by March 1996.

"It costs the City of Gurdon about $90 per ton to dispose of household garbage," Smith said. "One ton of recyclables saves the city this money directly, which helps contain the cost of garbage collection in the future. In addition, recycling extends the life of landfills and has a positive effect on the environment.

"This will be good for the people of today and tomorrow."