Thrift-store operation ends for season at county landfill

The pilot thrift-shop collection program at the Columbia Falls green-box site has wrapped up for the season.

The effort began in mid-August when the solid waste district board and Flathead Industries reached an agreement for Flathead Industries to have people and a truck at the garbage site three days a week.

The goal was to make it easier for people to donate used items to the thrift store instead of tossing those items into the trash so they end up at the landfill. Keeping useful items out of the waste stream is a goal of the solid waste board.

When district officials discussed the idea earlier this year, it was agreed that the on-site collection effort would be seasonal and would shut down for the winter, Flathead County Public Works Director Dave Prunty said.

While the volume of donated materials taken to the collection site this year hasn’t been huge, Prunty said Flathead Industries leaders “believe there’s potential” for the program to grow when it resumes next spring.

The amount of trash hauled to the landfill in August was up 3.8 percent compared to August 2010, he reported. But, at the same time, the amount of garbage left at container sites around the county decreased 5.9 percent in August compared to last year.

Part of the increase at the landfill can be accounted for in the 3,000 yards of material accepted from the city of Kalispell, he said. The city ran out of space to store the material it sweeps up from city streets and hauled some of it to the landfill in August.

While it constitutes plenty of weight, it’s good material to get, Prunty said, because the sweepings can be used as cover to be placed on top of trash.

The city has another 2,000 yards of sweepings that eventually may end up at the landfill, he said.

Prunty reminds county residents that they can haul yard and garden waste directly to the landfill where it’s placed in a specific area and run through a chipper and used for mulch. Garden and yard waste isn’t supposed to be dumped in containers at green-box sites.

Reporter Shelley Ridenour may be reached at 758-4439 or sridenour@dailyinterlake.com.