Eureka community unites to recycle tons of trash

Carole Tapp, president of Recycle Eureka, remembers a moment in December 2007 that led to converting tons of trash into recycled commodities by Earth Day 2009.

"It came in a conversation between a couple of friends over coffee," she said. "We wanted to simplify our lives by not having to drive 71 miles to Valley Recycling."

She laughed as she admitted that founding a private nonprofit recycling organization had the opposite effect of simplifying their lives. But the result - about 15,000 pounds of household waste recycled since August - rewarded their trek over a mountain of obstacles.

From the start, Recycle Eureka challenges involved economics, not community support. A survey of 164 residents conducted early on by their fledgling board found 96 percent in favor of recycling.

"People said they would donate 100 percent of their recyclables, including metals," she said. "That was surprising because a lot of people were recycling metals, like aluminum cans, for money."

After securing their 501(c)(3) nonprofit status, Tapp, her coffee pal Alice Elrod, Tom Kincheloe and attorney Tiffin Hall began sorting through business models in pursuit of a self-supporting recycling method.

Tapp soon found her experience with urban programs wasn't relevant to Eureka.

"I had no exposure to rural recycling," Tapp said.

Their location just 10 to 15 miles from the Canadian border cut a large piece out of their potential service area. Canada doesn't allow transportation of recycled material across the border.

"They consider it garbage and won't allow it," she said.

Low population density plus the long haul to Kalispell recycling centers made large rolling recycling containers impractical. Valley Recycling could not economically transport over that distance.

"They were the only ones willing to come to Eureka to pick up a bin, but we would have to pay them," she said. "It was too cost-prohibitive."

With the help of Dusti Johnson at the Montana Department of Environmental Quality, Tapp and the other board members learned about small-city recycling techniques that got them thinking outside the rolling bin.

"She's the one who came up with the idea of super sacks," Tapp said. "All we knew about was huge steel containers."

These lightweight bags hold up to 900 pounds of recycled cardboard, paper, plastics or metal cans brought to quarterly recycling drives. With a borrowed forklift, volunteers can load the heaviest bags on a flatbed trailer and truck to haul to Valley Recycling.

Recycle Eureka's first drive in August bagged 4,260 pounds. An October event brought in 3,936 pounds and January's collection added up to 3,417 pounds without cardboard.

In December, Stein's Family Foods took over collection of cardboard, the single biggest headache faced by the recycling organization. Tapp said the bulky broken-down boxes overwhelmed other materials with low to zero payback.

Searching for a solution, the nonprofit's board had conducted a survey of commercial establishments to determine the economics of buying a baler. In the process, they discovered Stein's Family Foods planned to buy a vertical down-stroke baler.

"We pulled together all our numbers from the commercial survey and presented the opportunity to Stein's to recycle for the community at large," she said.

With the support of local manager Mike Skranak, Stein's corporate office approved the idea, moving Recycle Eureka a huge step ahead. Lincoln County commissioners pitched in by donating a pair of four-cubic-yard containers to hold collected cardboard.

"Since December, they recycled 100,000 pounds out of this program," Tapp said.

Stein's Family Foods provides the service for the public good, not profit.

According to Tapp, the economic return for recycling has spiraled from not great to dismal to depressing, much like revenues in other areas of the economy. She compares the cash received for the August drive of $213.25 to January's $28.75 for slightly fewer pounds of material.

"We only got paid for aluminum," Tapp said. "It's eye-opening as to what's happened in our economy."

Hoping to make lemonade out of lemons, she has begun investigating stimulus programs that may benefit Recycle Eureka. She remains optimistic that prices eventually will rebound, but said their mission never has been about making money.

She called recycling a labor of love by the many people, schools and businesses who have jumped on board. Tapp said last weekend's quarterly drive was a prime example of the cross-section of people involved.

"We had little kids four and five," she said. "Then we also had elderly people passionate about recycling."

By coordinating with Eureka's spring spruce-up campaign, the drive diverted about 4,000 pounds destined for the Libby landfill. Tapp said each drive grows as word spreads about their effort.

"The really exciting thing is that we have played a role in raising awareness of the need for it," she said.

Schools now collect plastic bags and huge amounts of paper and the local post office began recycling newspapers and magazines last fall.

Word has spread statewide about the little town's big success story. Tapp was proud that Recycle Eureka received an invitation to present its story May 1 at the Waste Not Montana Conference in Billings.

She remains in awe that a cup of coffee with a friend evolved into a citywide movement to conserve through recycling.

"It's been a really wonderful process to watch," Tapp said.

Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at 758-4436 or by e-mail at cchase@dailyinterlake.com.