EARTH DAY EVERYDAY!!??!!

Today is Earth Day and it seems like everyone keeps saying..."Celebrate Earth Day Everyday!" I have never been against recycling, but I never thought I could get together enough "stuff" that would make an impact or benefit the planet.

One of my best friends, Q2's Courtney Hanson, has inspired me to recycle a little more than I used to. My family grew up recycling barrels full of cans, stacks and stacks of newspapers and lots of other plastic and cardboard....but I never thought I had enough to set aside.

BUT.....Although it takes up a lot of space in my tiny apartment and looks like a corner full of garbage... I have started to recycle my aluminum cans, newspapers and plastic sacks from the grocery store. Once my pile gets big enough... I am going to bring my cans to the station and we will recycle them and get the profit to donate to our Relay for Life team fund. I will bring my newspapers to one of those big bins... and my used grocery sacks to the Montana Rescue Mission so they can use them to bag up there goods.

As I was researching Earth Day information for the morning show last night, I realized that most recycling venues in Billings accept recycling AND PAY YOU FOR IT! Although I know I would never even get enough to pay for a gallon of gas (I would have to save newspapers for a year and a half to get $3.50!!!)

I think the key is to start recycling somewhere where lots of recyclables could accumulate. We tried to recyle our used computer paper at Q2... but that lasted for about a week... until the box was brimming with old scripts... and no one wanted to take it down to the recycling place (and let me tell you.... Between Rob and I in the mornings... we probably kill a small baby spruce printing off our scripts for the morning show!)

Last year Americans received more than $500 million for recycled aluminum alone! YOU can spread the word and make recycling part of your daily life: (adapted from the Billings onlie Public Works Website)

The following is a list of household items easily recyclable in Billings (and most recyclers will pay you for them):

Aluminum Cans:
Aluminum cans are one of the most popular items recycled by consumers today. They recycle most aluminum cans into more aluminum cans. Recycling centers will buy them, crushed or uncrushed.

Newspapers (ONP):
Newspapers should not be sunburned, wet or mildewed. The colored sections and slick advertising insert materials that come in your newspaper CAN be kept inside the newspaper and recycled. They recommend that you box, bag or tie your newspapers when transporting them. If you want payment for your ONP, magazines, junk mail, phone books, etc. CANNOT be mixed in with your newspapers.

Old Corrugated Containers (OCC):
These are grocery store-type boxes. You may also recycle flour sacks, brown paper grocery sacks and sugar sacks with OCC since they are made of the same material. Cereal boxes, shoe boxes, etc. are different, and you should not mix them with your OCC. They recycle OCC back into corrugated boxes right here in Montana.

Appliances:
Old appliances and other lightweight scrap steel, such as stoves, furnaces, car body parts, etc. are recyclable. Disposing of refrigerators or air conditioners without first recovering the refrigerant is now illegal.

Computer Print Out (CPO):
Computer print out paper is easily recyclable. However, you cannot recycle computer print out paper with carbon paper in it.

Office Ledger Paper:
If you want payment for office ledger paper, save only white and pastel colored office stationery and envelopes, copy machine paper, fax paper, Post-itâ notes, and NCR (no carbon required) paper. You should recycle any other papers as "mixed paper."


The following items are also recyclable, but they will probably not pay you for them:

Mixed Paper:
You can recycle any paper that tears. This includes cereal boxes, shoe boxes, junk mail and greeting cards. The only restrictions are carbon paper, plastic coated papers, and kitchen and bathroom waste (plates, towels, tissues, etc.)

Glass Jars and Bottles:
Glass jars and bottles are recyclable. They make jars back into more glass jars. You need to rinse them out, remove the lids and sort them according to color (clear, green or brown). The labels can remain on. Window glass, drinking glasses, etc. are NOT recyclable.
Plastic Pop BottlesThey recycle plastic pop bottles into carpeting or fill material for pillows or "down" vests. Drain them and take the lids off. Again, the labels can remain on.

Plastic Milk Jugs:
milk jugs and distilled water jugs are recyclable, but keep them separate from your plastic pop bottles. They make these into plastic lumber, landfill liners and sometimes even toys. Rinse them out and take the lids off.

Steel Cans:
or more commonly known as "tin" cans and found in our kitchens, are recyclable. They make them into structural steel products. Rinse them before taking them to a recycling center (you can leave the labels on).

Magazines:
Magazines are again recyclable in Billings. Please make sure there are no phone books, brochures, junk mail or thick catalogs mixed in with your magazines.


Where to take your recyclables:

Billings RecycleNOW458 Charles Street406.252.5721

Pacific Recycling777 - 4th Avenue North406.245.3133

Golden Recycling & Salvage1100 - 6th Avenue North406.252.8080