Companies working hard to recycle refuse

I am writing in response to Eric Pero's article on Jan. 5 titled "Recycler discouraged by waste." There seems to be some misleading information in this article.

As the manager of Valley Recycling in Kalispell, I would like to take a moment to correct any misconceptions people might have after reading the article. Valley Recycling strives to provide a valuable service to the residents of Flathead and to keep our customers informed as to what we recycle and where to recycle.

Valley Recycling has worked very hard over the last few years to reduce the amount of refuse delivered to the Flathead County landfill. In 2005 alone, Valley Recycling collected and recycled 5.8 million pounds of material.

The materials from the recycling drop bins located around the valley are delivered to Valley Recycling. The article states there is a 60 percent contamination rate in the drop bins, leading to "the entire batch being thrown into the garbage."

Last year alone, more than 1,075 drop bins were recycled at Valley Recycling. Not a single load was thrown into the garbage due to contamination.

Cory Cullen is right that recyclables need to be carefully sorted. Valley Recycling staffs two full-time employees just for sorting the material that comes in on a daily basis. Cullen's estimated contamination rate is greatly overstated.

In 2005, the amount of trash in the recycling containers was less than 10 percent of the totals (no where near the 60 percent quoted). In 2005 alone, Valley Recycling sorted 1.8 million pounds of aluminum, No. 1 and No. 2 plastics (with the lids on), cardboards, newspapers, magazines and office paper from the drop bins.

Cullen states that magazines, office paper and newspapers can't be recycled together, and when they are, they contaminate the recycling bin. In fact, Valley Recycling combines and bales all three types of paper. It is acceptable for magazines, office paper and newspapers to all be placed in the same bin.

Valley Recycling is also working with many of the valley schools to provide recycling opportunities as well as recycling education.

Valley Recycling, in connection with Evergreen Disposal and Kelly's Haul-Away, are continually working on ways to recycle more materials. In 2005, Valley Recycling started accepting wet-cell batteries.

Also in 2005, Valley Recycling started recycling clothes. Clothes that would are normally sent to the county landfill are taken to Valley Recycling by Kelly's Haul-Away. The clothes are bailed and shipped to Seattle and then overseas to developing countries,

Unlike Cullen's "10 dollar a month" recycling program, Kelly's Haul-away has donated their hauling services to the city of Kalispell residents for more than 10 years. Kelly's Haul-away provides the four recycling drop-bins located in the Kalispell area. The recycling drop-bins are located at Albertson's, Evergreen Square, Salvation Army and Tidyman's.

The bins are brought to Valley Recycling three times a week, where the contents are sorted, bailed and shipped. This is a huge space savings to our county landfill.

Cullen claims to have visited all of the recycling centers in town. We invite him and the community to visit Valley Recycling and see the good things being done for this valley.

For more information, you can visit our Web site at www.valleyrecycling.com or call us at 257-2574. Thank you Flathead Valley for your support.

Bob Morrow, of Valley Recycling, and Brett Kelly, of Kelly's Haul-away.