The City of Bartlesville has issued a request for proposals for a new operator of its Recycle Center after its current contractor announced plans to step away. Replenysh, which has operated the city’s recycling drop-off center since 2021, notified the city that its agreement will end in April.

City officials released the RFP this week, calling for qualified organizations to submit proposals by 2 p.m. March 16. City Manager Mike Bailey said the agreement is ending because Replenysh’s special contracts with major bottlers and other buyers of recycled materials are expiring. Those agreements had allowed the company to run the center at no cost to the city.

Bailey said Replenysh has tentatively agreed to continue operating the facility through April. City leaders hope to identify a new operator before then to avoid any interruption in service. Bailey noted the city has used the RFP process successfully for other programs, including the maintenance and operation of the Price Fields Sports Complex, and said officials aim to select an option that best serves residents while remaining cost effective for taxpayers.