Businesses take the lead in recycling

To promote recycling and extend the life of the landfill, Flathead County - in partnership with Evergreen Disposal and Valley Recycling - will approach area businesses with recycling options.

By having recycling bins at the place of business, companies can better keep bulky materials - especially cardboard - out of the landfill.

"They can actually save money in their total bill," Flathead County's Public Works Director Dave Prunty said. "Yes, they are paying for this second container, but their garbage container needs to be emptied less. They will get a decreased assessment from the county.

"For the most part, the businesses do a good job, but there is a lot out there that isn't getting recycled."

Last year, Valley Recycling took in 4.6 million pounds of cardboard and 3.2 million pounds of newspaper.

"The amount of material goes up about one million pounds every year," Bob Morrow, recycling manager, said. "We're on track to do that this year."

To keep up with that much material, Valley's baler runs 55 hours per week compressing cardboard, paper and plastic into compact shipping units. A large quantity of the material comes from area businesses.

"There are lots of companies that are on the ball with recycling," Morrow said.

One of those businesses is Herberger's in the Kalispell Center Mall.

"We don't throw any cardboard away," store manager Gary Evans said.

The retail store has a dumpster provided by Valley Recycling, and close to 100 percent of the store's cardboard is recycled.

"As many cartons as we go through, it's worth the benefits of recycling," Evans said. "It's very simple. The recycling center has made it easy on us."

Evans said Herberger's receives and recycles about 5,600 boxes every month, and the recycling program has been in effect for close to a decade.

Wright's Furniture in Whitefish doesn't have a recycling bin, but sends its trucks to Valley Recycling to drop off about 1,500 pounds of cardboard every 10 days. The recycling facility is available to receive any amount of material five days a week.

Manager Frank Wright said that although it costs his company money to sort and haul the cardboard, his "hate for wastefulness" keeps him recycling.

"I simply feel it's a good thing to do for the environment," Wright said. "It's not always about the money. We need to get everybody on the bandwagon. It's a good thing to do."

Still, landfill operations manager Jim Chilton said there is much more to do.

"We know there are big stores out there that don't recycle," he said.

Chilton said he regularly sees trucks from local companies dumping large amounts of cardboard that is mixed with regular trash into the landfill. The landfill even has a recycling bin that often gets ignored.

"The biggest complaint we get from businesses is that 'we can't get employees on board,'" Matt O'Connell, district manager for Evergreen Disposal and Valley Recycling, said. "It's a change of mindset and culture within businesses."

For more information about recycling and recycling locations in the Flathead Valley, visit http://www.co.flathead.mt.us/waste/index.html or www.valleyrecycling.com

Reporter Michael Richeson may be reached at 758-4459 or by e-mail at mricheson@dailyinterlake.com