MOUNT VERNON — While recycling continues to grow in popularity with the latest push to go “green,” recyclers will need to change their schedule or be left in the dark following changes at the Knox County Recycling Center.

Gary Sims, president of Sims Brothers; Jeff Clark, vice president of Sims; and Keith Bailey, district director of DKMM Solid Waste District, meet with the Knox County Commissioners to inform them of some changes at recycling center. The county owns the center and hires Sims Brothers to operate it. The funding for running the center comes from DKMM.

Because of the recent state of the economy, Sims Brothers felt they needed to make some changes to stay economically viable.

“Our flow is good coming in,” said Sims. “But we can’t sell it. It’s just piling up. There’s no demand for steel. The steel mills have cut way back and that’s what brings the cash in; when we sell the stuff.”

Sims will be eliminating buy backs (steel, aluminum) and closing the drive thorough to the public. The drive through will still be used to service the AlleyCats, a service provided to the county. The outdoor containers will remain open for public use and staff will be available to help with unloading to the containers.

Sims will be cutting recycling center hours and closing on Saturdays. The last Saturday they will be open will be June 6. Hours of daily operation will be reduced by one hour per day. The center will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. One employee accepted a voluntary layoff.

“We don’t expect this to be permanent,” Sims added. “We think the economy will get better. Sooner than later, hopefully.”