Articles in this Regional News Roundup are taken from weekly newspapers across the region. This is the second part, the first having appeared in the Friday’s Tribune.
KOOSKIA – After 13 years of operating the Idaho County recycling program in Kooskia with volunteers, the program has been integrated into the new Simmons remediation site in Kooskia.
The Old Pole Yard community drop-off site, located on Thenon Street, is now ready to accept cardboard, tin and aluminum cans and newspapers.
On November 17, Janie Fluharty and Liz Clark of the Idaho County Recycling Group met with staff at Simmons Sanitation to line them up with the recycling bins, which Simmons moved from the old Kooskia recycling site. People will be able to recycle whenever the Pole Yard site is open. The staff site is open Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Wednesdays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. It will also be open the first, third and fifth Saturdays of each month from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Clark and Fluharty hope the “one stop shop” for eliminating both recycling and solid waste will encourage people to recycle more.
“We are counting on you to spread the word,” said Clark, addressing Simmons staff.
Robert Simmons explained that “our people meet everyone at the door”. He added that they can line people up with recycling bins and help them out, if needed. Staff will also distribute brochures on what can be recycled.
“A lot of people have asked about recycling. People are thrilled it’s here, ”said Kris Shook, Simmons employee, who works at the Pole Yard site.
Items brought in for recycling should be clean and sorted by type. Cardboard, including cereal boxes and brown paper bags, in addition to cardboard tubes and corrugated cardboard, should be flattened to save space. Tin and aluminum cans should be rinsed and labels removed. Newspaper bins can hold catalogs, magazines, paperbacks, and phone books.
According to Fluharty, Western Recycling transports recyclables to Lewiston. The price paid for recyclable materials as well as cardboard pledges from certain local businesses and individuals cover the cost of transporting recyclable materials.
“Anytime we can divert waste, it saves money,” said Robert Simmons.
He acknowledged that transportation costs have increased in recent years. Solid waste from Idaho County is transported to Missoula, Mt.
– Norma Staaf, The Clearwater Progress (Kamiah), Thursday