| People
Helping People
Here in Idaho County we’ve seen increased expenses in managing solid wastes. Much of this is because landfills are notorious for the many pollutants they contain, and most people don’t want to live, work, or play anywhere near one. Additionally, our County experiences steadily increasing volumes of discarded trash, thus compounding the expense. In 2008, a committee of ten volunteers studied the problem in Idaho County and concluded there are five areas that challenge our economic and environmental demands. The committee determined it is necessary to: [1] “provide reasonable solid waste services at affordable prices” [2] “arrive at a fair pricing formula” [3] “control dumpster abuse” [4] “protect land and streams from garbage drift” and [5] “promote reuse and recycling” of solid waste products. Idaho County Recycling collects WHITE/OFFICE PAPER; we collect and ship it in white “ONCE IS NOT ENOUGH” recycling bags. These bags are expected to contain an assortment of writing paper, typing paper, printer paper, and tablet paper of various colors, coatings and adhesives. The contents may include opened and discarded mail, old files, receipts, file folders, post-it notes, outdated forms/records, journals, tab-card stock, maps, engineering and plot drawings, packing paper, printed and colored poster paper, AND labels from metal cans. Staples, tape, windowed envelopes, standard paper clips, and occasional rubber bands need not be removed. We collect sorted office paper in white recycling bags and store those bags in a shed on the site until they are picked up by Lewis Clark Recyclers, Inc. on the third Friday of each month. In Idaho County, every person who makes recycling a reality is a volunteer. Volunteers manage all the planning and coordination. Volunteers write the grants to finance recycling operations that often prove unprofitable. Volunteers man the recycling sites where we hope every Idaho County resident will bring all their used-up recyclables. Volunteers are there to help anyone who is unable to unload their recyclables. All our recyclables must be clean and sorted because if we ship contaminated recyclables, we cannot expect prime-rate return. In the white (office paper) bags, the following are considered Prohibitive Contaminates: Carbon paper; Tissues and Toilet Paper; Paper Towels; Napkins; Paper Cups; Metal Binders; Spiral Bindings; large amounts of rubber bands; and hard bound books. (We do accept hard-bound books, but they are collected separately.) If you prefer to use something other than white and green recycling bags, and you can fit your recycling into a cardboard box or brown paper bag, we can also recycle the bag/box and cut down on the number of plastic bags that cannot be recycled. Thank you. |
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