Polk County’s recycling program is at a crossroads. At the July 14 Commissioners Court meeting, Polk County Recycling and Beautification (PCRB) notified the Court that the non-profit can no longer keep the recycling center running past this year, as several of its key volunteers prepare to relocate, and it has asked the county to decide the program’s future.

PCRB president Kari Miller made the case for what is at stake. Since 2021, PCRB has diverted more than 400,000 pounds of material from the landfill, powered by 8,000-plus hours from over 60 volunteers. Material sales brought in about $30,000 over five years against roughly $200,000 in operating costs, a gap covered by grants, donations, and fundraising. Recycling, Miller said, is “a public service, not a business.”

The wind-down has already started. Plastic collection has already ended, the Onalaska drop-off closed June 19, and all remaining collections will end by September 29, giving the group time to sell off remaining material and clean up the center.

There is an upside for the county. PCRB has run the program with the help of grant funding, and Miller told the Court the county already owns the building and core equipment, including the balers, forklift, and loading dock, all purchased with grant funds from DETCOG and Keep Texas Recycling.

The Court made clear it does not want recycling to disappear. Every commissioner voiced support, and County Judge Sydney Murphy directed that Commissioner Jerry Cassity, whose precinct includes the center, head a committee to review options and bring a plan back for budget consideration.

Miller laid out three possible options: the county takes over operations with at least one full-time employee, a scaled-back version with periodic collection events, or ending the program entirely. “It’s not a conversation about capital investment,” she told the Court. “It’s about whether the recycling program can continue and in what capacity.”

Longtime supporters turned out to defend the center, including residents Susan and John Musney, who told the Court they have volunteered since the center opened.

With plastics already discontinued, the center still accepts corrugated cardboard, aluminum cans, steel and tin cans, and electronics, until the September wind-down. The Court is expected to revisit funding options during budget talks.

936 Insider will look next at how some communities are keeping plastic recycling alive locally, and what that could mean for Polk County.

References

Polk County Commissioners Court. (2026, July 14). Regular session of Commissioners Court – July 14, 2026, at 10:00 AM [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIb1qwGSkX8

Polk County Commissioners Court. (2026, July 14). Commissioner’s court meeting agenda [Agenda]. CivicClerk. https://polkcotx.portal.civicclerk.com

Polk County Recycling & Beautification. (n.d.-a). Accepted materials. Retrieved July 15, 2026, from https://www.pcrbtexas.org

Polk County Recycling & Beautification. (n.d.-b). Our board. Retrieved July 15, 2026, from https://www.pcrbtexas.org/meet-the-team