By Cindy Mullet
Ranger-Review Staff Writer
Recycling efforts are happening in Montana and can happen in Glendive.
That was the message presented during a future of recycling in Dawson County seminar held during the Glendive Agri-Trade Exposition Saturday, Feb. 10.
Recycling is viable in Montana but has to be a well thought-out effort, Dusti Johnson a recycling market specialist with the Montana Department of Environmental Quality Solid Waste Section asserted during a panel discussion.
When trying to start a new program in a community the biggest question to ask is not how but who. Identifying who will be in charge of the program, who will do the hauling, who will pay for it and who will buy the recycled product is the first step. After these key components are determined, the how will follow, she said.
Many communities looking to start recycling programs want to do it all rather than starting with one commodity and growing from there. That can lead to frustration and failure, she advised.
Audits on garbage cans show that paper makes up 33 to 40 percent of trash that is thrown away. Starting with that commodity would make sense. Recycling paper, magazines and newspaper can be profitable she noted, pointing to a program in Conrad that started out making enough to pay for gas and has been able to purchase a flatbed trailer that public works personnel use to haul the recycled product to Great Falls and bring back supplies needed by the department.
“Start small and grow into it,” she advised.
Contamination is a big deal when it comes to recycling. Many people don’t understand how to sort recycled products and buyers are frustrated when they think they are buying a particular item, such as a specific type of plastic, and end up with a load containing three or four kinds of plastic, she said.
Recycling was going strong in Glendive before an arson fire destroyed the Yellowstone Recycling Center, Bruce Smith, Dawson County Extension Agent and a member of the Yellowstone Recycling board noted.
After the fire the center tried to continue recycling paper and cardboard but struggled and eventually had to close that operation. Currently only used paint is being recycled by the center, he said.
One of the biggest problems Glendive faces is that the community is far away from everywhere and that makes marketing recycled products a challenge. Because of this the Yellowstone Recycling board members would like to develop local uses for these products, he added.
Making sure the product they send buyers is what the buyers want is a priority for Border Steel and Recycling of Glendive and has brought them success, Ernie Gawryluk, noted adding that over the years the company has expanded to four locations in Eastern Montana.
In the ‘90s Border Steel recycled paper, cardboard, glass and plastics but that wasn’t workable, he said. With the volume of scrap metal they received, they didn’t have storage space for other commodities.
“You can’t have the whole apple,” he noted.
Border Steel now accepts most types of salvage metals including aluminum, steel, copper, brass, iron, and tin as well as radiators, batteries, motor blocks, appliances and auto bodies. They are also one of the few outlets for animal hides, he said.
Recycling happens in ways people don’t always realize, Johnson said, noting that thrift stores and garage sales are also avenues of recycling.
In looking at starting a recycling program there is no sense in reinventing the wheel, she added. Looking at what other communities have done can be very helpful. Many started with monthly or quarterly drives of a specific commodity and when those became successful made sure they used profits to give something back to the community.
“It takes energy to do anything,” she cautioned. “Think through it. Make sure you know what you really want to do.”
The GATE seminar was sponsored by the Dawson Resource Council which has been working on recycling issues and looking at ways to increase recycling options in Dawson County.
“We believe in doing what we can to eliminate waste, and keep our recyclables out of the landfill,” Amy Myran DRC chairman noted. “We also believe that rural communities deserve access to the same services that urban places enjoy – even if it requires a little extra creativity, entrepreneurship and hard work.”
Community members who are interested in providing more recycling options in Glendive are encouraged to contact Myran or other DRC members.
DRC in partnership with several other organizations, is also hosting a Recycling Town Hall on May 5.
Reach Cindy Mullet at
crmullet@midrivers.com