CHINA GROVE — The town’s current recycling provider, North Davidson Garbage Service and Recycling, has been sold to GFL Environmental, and that could mean some changes to local services.

Under new ownership, town officials say, there will be increased costs for recycling, which leaves the town of China Grove with a number of decisions to choose from. The town’s options include continuing services with the new company, changing how often recycling services are utilized or possibly utilizing a recycling center locally.

GFL Environmental is honoring the current contract with North Davidson Garbage Service and Recycling until it runs out on Dec. 31, said China Grove Mayor Lee Withers.

“At what point does cost play more of a factor? If it’s right, we should do what is right,” Withers said recently when speaking to students at South Rowan High School about the issue. “The question is should we recycle because it’s the right thing to do by the environment? However, if that costs an extra $100,000, should we do away with recycling?”

Withers said the China Grove Town Board is faced with “a huge increase in the case of recycling.”

According to members of the China Grove Town Council, the current collection fees are at $8.50 per month per household, and the new company will raise the collection fees to $9.50 per trash cart per month in order to continue weekly pickup.

“If you continue recycling, it will (eventually) be $13.50 a household,” said Councilman Rodney Phillips.

Phillips offered alternative options that included switching recycling services from once a week, to every two weeks or once every four weeks in order to cut costs.

“We want to hear ideas from others, and get a conversation going and have them to let us know what they are thinking,” he said. “We’ve gotten a lot of input, and have gotten a lot of feedback, with some people concerned about tax rates going up.”

Phillips said that it is important for people to pay attention and “to know what is going on.”

“It is important for people to voice their opinion. We want as much input as we can get,” he said.

On its website, North Davidson Garbage Services said its services began transitioning to a company called Waste Industries on Aug. 1, marking the end of a 50-year run as a family-owned residential waste collection service. GFL Environmental is the parent company of Waste Industries.

“As customers, what can you expect from this transition? You can be confident Waste Industries will continue to provide you with the same dependable, quality service you’ve come to rely on from NDGS,” the company wrote on its website. “There will be no interruption in your current services.”

Withers said issues associated with recycling are “a bigger problem than just China Grove.” Last year, China added restrictions to plastics it accepts and municipalities in the county have been forced to adopt as a result.

“We need more than China Grove to fix it. We’re willing to help. I’m just anxiously waiting to figure out what that answer is and what it looks like down the road,” he said.

According to Withers, stopping recycling momentarily in order to save money would allow the Town Council to “really dig deep and find what the best options are.”

“We’ve got to look at what our long term solution is,” said Withers. “We need to look at what is causing the recycling center the most pain and find out what is the best thing to recycle and concentrate on so that we don’t get drained.”

Withers expressed concerns about whether or not recycling companies are actually recycling each item submitted or whether items are “just being dumped into the landfill” due to not being “properly recycled.”

“If we recycle, it will be almost three times the amount of money just to make us feel good in the short term. I think we have to do what right by the taxpayer. I would imagine in November or December, we will start to work toward a 2020-2021 plan,” he said. “Or maybe the best thing to recycle is aluminum and cardboard.”

When Withers recently spoke to the town’s Youth Council about the issue, talked about the topic with Kody Barringer, Raychell Harrity and Harrison Shepherd. All three students agreed that they would want further information and to see exactly how many residents in China Grove recycle before moving forward with a final decision.

“You have to look and see how many people actually recycle. Is it really worth it?” Barringer saidduring the council meeting.

Harrity said recycling was important, but believes “it comes down to who is using it.”