WASTE NOT MONTANA CONFERENCE

2009

Recycling in the Tobacco Valley – Eureka,

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

Canada
Eureka

Lake Glacier
Koocanus Nationa
a l Park

Libby Whitefis
h
Kalispel
l

Flathea
d
Lake

Recycling in the Tobacco Valley – Eureka,

PRESENTATION STRUCTURE

RecycleEureka.or
DECEMBER 2007

RecycleEureka.or
Well, it all started over a cup of
coffee...

“Necessity is the mother of invention.”

-Victor Hugo 1852

Inceptio
n RecycleEureka.or
 GETTING ORGANIZED

Tiffin Hall joins the board of directors

Received non-profit status from Montana

& FEI #
Began research with Montana DEQ &
others
Joined the National Recycling Coalition

Began building a web site

Organizin
g RecycleEureka.or
 GETTING EDUCATED

Past attempts to recycle failed because:

1. Inadequately
funded
2. Volunteer effort

3. Poorly researched

Educatio
n RecycleEureka.or
RESIDENTIAL SURVEY

Educatio
n RecycleEureka.or
 EDUCATING THE PUBLIC

Raising public awareness

Utilized local media outlets

Presentations to school board and civic

groups
Went live with www.RecycleEureka.com
& .org

Educatio
n RecycleEureka.or
 CRUNCHING NUMBERS

Officers elected

Commitment from school

superintendent
Number crunching time

Calculati
ng RecycleEureka.or
NO MONEY HONEY

Fund-
raising RecycleEureka.or
 E-WASTE PROGRAM
LAUNCHES
Eco-Phones provided perfect solution!

1. Recycle

2. Raise money

3. Show good faith in community

4. Opportunity to educate 700-800

students

Fund-
raising RecycleEureka.or
 FINANCIAL ANALYSIS

Initial Assumptions:
1. One 30-yard roll-off container
2. Emptied twice per month
3. Projected annual revenue: $2,600
4. Projected annual costs: ($12,000)

Conclusion: Poor Business Model

Analyzing
May 2008
RecycleEureka.or
 SCRUTINIZING JUNK MAIL

Initiated discussions with

the local postmaster

Public campaign to stop

junk mail at the source

www.dmachoice.org/consumerassistance.php

Scrutinizin
g RecycleEureka.or
 REGROUPING

“Abandon all your plans…

…even the best ones.”
– Sathya Sai Baba

Regroupin
g RecycleEureka.or
 REGROUPING

30-yard Container Model = Bad Business

Model
Vertical Baler Business Model = Cost-
prohibitive
City Mentality = Realistic Rural Recycling
Program
•Border limits trade area by 180o

•Nearest recycling center is 71 miles away

•Population density was also a challenge

How Did We Spell D.U.S.T.

Relief? I.
Regroupin
g RecycleEureka.or
 PROMOTING & SURVEYING

The Tobacco Valley News

Web site

Distributed flyers and table tents

Surveyed commercial business cardboard

waste

Promoting
July 2008
RecycleEureka.or
 RECYCLING
First Quarterly Recycling Drive – Aug. 15-
16, 2008

Recycling
August 2008
RecycleEureka.or
 RECYCLING
First Quarterly Recycling Drive – Aug. 15-
16, 2008

Recycling
August 2008
RecycleEureka.or
 RECYCLING
First Quarterly Recycling Drive – Aug. 15-
16, 2008

Recycling
August 2008
RecycleEureka.or
 RECYCLING

Material
“It’s a Pounds
wrap!” Aluminum:
128
Cardboard:
1,885
Mixed Paper:
2,230
Plastic #1: 121
Plastic #2: 147
Tin Cans: 129

Recycling
August 2008
RecycleEureka.or
 INTENSIFYING EFFORTS

On-going discussions with the

postmaster
High school forms paper recycling
committee
Plan October recycling drive

Administered E-waste program

Intensifyin
g RecycleEureka.or
 RECYCLING
Second Quarterly Recycling Drive – Oct.
11, 2008

Recycling
October 2008
RecycleEureka.or
 RECYCLING
Second Quarterly Recycling Drive – Oct.
11, 2008

Recycling
October 2008
RecycleEureka.or
 RECYCLING
Second Quarterly Recycling Drive – Oct.
11, 2008
Material
Pounds
Aluminum:
190
Cardboard:
780
Mixed Paper:
2,351
Plastic #1: 140
Plastic #2: 225
Tin Cans: 250

Recycling
October 2008
RecycleEureka.or
 RECYCLING
Second Quarterly Recycling Drive – Oct.
11, 2008

Recycling
October 2008
RecycleEureka.or
 FLATTENING CARDBOARD
“Oh let us count the ways we hate
cardboard…”
5. Bulky

4. Little or no market value

3. Release of Methane gas in landfills

2. Frequently contaminated by food or haz.

mtls.
1. P.I.B. Factor

Flattening
November 2008
RecycleEureka.or
 PROMOTING & SURVEYING

Approx. 12,000 pounds / week dumped into

landfill
Largest producer of commercial cardboard:
Stein’s with 2,400 pounds / week

Residential cardboard:
Approx. 3,200 pounds / week

At then market prices, worth about $17,000

/ year

Surveying
July 2008
RecycleEureka.or
FLATTENING CARDBOARD

Flattening
November 2008
RecycleEureka.or
RESTING

Resting
December 2008
RecycleEureka.or
 PRESENT

RecycleEureka.or
 FREEZING
Third Quarterly Recycling Drive – Jan. 24,
2009

Freezing
January 2009
RecycleEureka.or
 FREEZING
Third Quarterly Recycling Drive – Jan. 24,
2009
Material
Pounds
Aluminum:
115
Fiberboard:
69
Mixed Paper:
2,873
Plastic #1: 195
Plastic #2: 165

Freezing
January 2009
RecycleEureka.or
 EXPANDING
Expand the Board with Two New Board
Members
Plan Stein’s Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
Add Special Event Recycling to 2009
Agenda
•Spruce Up Eureka – April
•Earth Day Competition – April
•Rendezvous –April
•Annual Rodeo at Fairgrounds – July
•The Bull Thing - August
•Eureka Quilt Show - August
•Ballgames - Fall
Expanding
February 2009
RecycleEureka.or
 PREPARING

Dr. Fred Henke, Retired

Tammy Parke, Chrysalis Girls

School
Sandi Hall, Owner/Operator
Café Jax

Preparing
March 2009
RecycleEureka.or
 WORKING
Stein’s Ribbon Cutting

Befor Afte
e r

Working
April 2009
RecycleEureka.or
 WORKING
Stein’s Ribbon Cutting

Working
April 2009
RecycleEureka.or
 WORKING
Special Event Recycling – Spruce Up
Eureka

Working
April 2009
RecycleEureka.or
 WORKING
Fourth Quarterly Recycling Drive – Apr.
18, 2009
Material
Pounds
Aluminum:
300
Mixed Paper:
2,921
Plastic #1: 250
Plastic #2: 154
Tin: 195

Total 3,820

Working
April 2009
RecycleEureka.or
 WORKING
Special Event Recycling – Earth Day
Competition
Aluminum: Pounds
K – 4th 229
5th – 8th 241
470

Plastics#1: Volume
9th – 12th: 1
Supersack

Income $

Working
April 2009
RecycleEureka.or
 FUTURE

RecycleEureka.or
 REVIEWING

Residential Untapped Potential

(Minus Cardboard)
(15,813-2,734 = 13,079)
(13,079 / 4 = 3,270# Avg. Mtls. Recycled/Qtr.)
6,500 - 4,360 – 135 =

2,005#/Quarter

Reviewin
RecycleEureka.or
g
 REVIEWING
E-Waste Recycling Program
Summary
Year End 2008
Cell Phones:   28
Ink Jet Cartridges:  35
Laptop Computers:  4
IPODs & MP3 Players:  2
Digital Cameras:  3
Digital Video Cameras:  1
Approximately 50-60#
Recycled E-Waste Value: 
$51.30

2009 Year to Date

25-30 Pounds Collected
thus far

Reviewin
RecycleEureka.or
g
 REVIEWING
Cardboard Recycling Program
Summary
Cardboard
Recycled

December 2008 - April 17,

2009
Cardboard
Projection

Est. actual volume produced

184,000#
Cardboard
Untapped

Per Month
20,250#

Reviewin
RecycleEureka.or
g
 REVIEWING
Post Office Recycling Program
Summary
Magazines &
Newspaper
Recycled

October 1 2008 - May 1,

2009

Junk Mail
Untapped

Per Month
200#

Reviewin
RecycleEureka.or
g
 REVIEWING
Special Event Recycling
Summary

Spruce Up Eureka (Commingled with recycling drive):

Earth Day Competition (Alum. 470#, #1 Plastic 1

Super Sack):
Rendezvous (Alum. <55g, #1 Plastic <55G):

Reviewin
RecycleEureka.or
g
 REMEMBER GETTING
EDUCATED?
Past attempts to recycle failed because:

1. Inadequately
funded

2. Volunteer effort

3. Poorly
researched

Educatio
n RecycleEureka.or
 STRATEGIZING
An Eye on the Future

1. Inadequately
Applying for multiple grants to expand
funded
programs

2. Volunteer effort
Positioning with county to establish
permanent drop and essential infrastructure

3. Poorly
researched
Continue tracking current programs

Strategizi
RecycleEureka.or
ng
The Last Best Place!