Elizabethtown Public Works employees Thursday were putting the final touches on a new recycling facility that may save the town $50,000 annually.

The unmanned dropoff center, located beside the Public Works Building at 305 Swanzy Street, will replace curbside recycling pickup starting this month.

The last date for curbside pickup was Tuesday. Customers were notified through the town newsletter, website and sanitation bills.

The site cost around $12,000 to construct.

Curbside recycling was costing around $65,000 per year.

"Many of our residents weren't participating in the curbside pickup," said Town Manager David Smitherman. "Costs were increasing, and the market for recycled goods has dropped dramatically, so we had to do something to avoid raising fees or cutting services."

The recycling center is set to open Monday.

The new site will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week for a trial period.

Curbside garbage pickup and commercial dumpster service will not be affected by the move, Smitherman said.

There will be no change in disposal fees, Smitherman said.

Waste Management of the Carolinas will still be the town's contractor, Smitherman said.

Residents are asked to keep their green recycle bins to transport their plastic, recyclable aluminum, and paper to the pickup site.

Some of the new items being accepted are computer paper, clean cardboard boxes, junk mail, phone books and slick catalogs, and white office paper products such as envelopes.

Glass of any kind will no longer be accepted. While a trashcan will be available for small items, Smitherman said the recycle center "is not a dump site."

Customers are asked to sort their own recyclables, Smitherman said, and place them in the proper containers.

The recycle station was built by town employees, using mostly recycled material or supplies salvaged from other town projects, according to Public Works Director Steve Williams.

Old railroad ties were used for lining and creating some walkways, and asphalt millings-the material stripped from road surfaces during the repaving process-were used to prepare the driveways into the site.

"We're proud of this facility," Williams said. "Our employees have really done a good job making the site attractive and functional."

Extensive planning went into the creation of the facility, Williams said.

Progress Energy should have a new lighting system installed by Monday, Williams said, so the site can be safely used 24 hours a day. Regular police patrols in the area are also planned.

"We want people to feel safe when they use the recycling center," he said.

The facility is landscaped and fenced. Walkways lead to the various bins, and decorative trees help disguise the recycle site from the street.

In addition to the recycle bins, a roll out cart will be available for glass and other unacceptable items.

"This isn't meant to be a trash dump," said Smitherman., "We're counting on people to help us keep it clean."

Eliminating the curbside recycling, Smitherman said, will also preserve the town's leaf and limb pickup service.

Elizabethtown has one of the least restrictive yard debris policies in the area. Disposal costs for debris such as leaves, tree limb, and hedge clippings are also growing.

"We've always had a liberal policy when it comes to yard debris," Smitherman said, "and the town has underwritten much of the cost. The money saved from curbside recycling pickup can be used to make a dent in the leaf and limb costs, so hopefully, we can continue that service at its current level."

For more information about the recycle site, contact the Elizabethtown Public Works Dept. at 862-2035.

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