Recycling in Montana faces barriers not found in most other states. Due to Montana’s low population and large geographical area, it is very difficult to find markets for recycled materials that are both economical and environmentally sustainable.
Currently, Montanans recycle only about 19% of the waste generated in the state, according to the Montana Department of Environmental Quality.
Fortunately, Seeley Lake has two very popular options for making a difference through recycling!
First, there are several types of items you can recycle when you take garbage to our local dump. Last year, the Seeley Lake Refuse District recycled:
222,380 pounds of corrugated cardboard
14,960 pounds of mixed metals
9,760 pounds of office paper
4,790 pounds of aluminum cans
3,420 pounds of steel cans
The Refuse District partners with Pacific Recycling, which manages this recycling effort.
Second, the Seeley Lake Community Foundation provides a glass recycling option for our community. The Foundation hosts periodic glass recycling drop-off events at the Foundation Building (3150 MT Hwy 83 N, in downtown Seeley Lake). The next glass recycling events are Saturday, July 15 and Saturday, Oct. 7. Glass recycling drop off events take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
When you drop off your glass, we suggest you also donate $1 for each gallon of glass. Your donated dollars will be DOUBLED up to $1,000 total by Charlie’s Helping Hands. Charlie’s Helping Hands is a local non-profit organization which assists the children of Seeley Lake and surrounding area with their various needs. All donations received on July 15th will benefit Seeley Lake Elementary School.
How did this glass recycling adventure begin? In 2021, the Seeley Lake Community Foundation awarded a grant to Recycling Works to do a year-long pilot project for glass recycling in Seeley Lake. This grant-funded project was so popular, the Seeley Lake Community Foundation and Recycling Works created a partnership to continue this service for our community! This year, the Foundation approached local non-profit Charlie’s Helping Hands about doubling community member donations, to grow the impact for local kids and schools.
Since 2021, Recycling Works, the Seeley Lake Community Foundation, Charlie’s Helping Hands, and the Seeley Lake community together have:
Donated: $5,500 to local public schools and
Recycled: 12,000 pounds of glass
Recycling Works is a non-profit recycler in Missoula. It began as a subsidiary of the Missoula Interfaith Collaborative (MIC), a coalition of congregations, small businesses, and other local organizations working together to generate positive change. Recycling Works was founded after MIC identified a need for more and better recycling practices in Missoula. Since Recycling Works’ inception in October 2018, it has been the only glass recycler in Western Montana, as well as a major compost collector. It has:
Recycled over 1.8 million pounds of glass,
Served around 2,000 dedicated recycling customers (this includes all curbside and drop-off customers),
Donated over $37,000 to local public education programs and housing initiatives,
Brought glass recycling to rural communities, such as Hamilton, Seeley Lake, and Superior,
Become the largest nonprofit-owned glass transfer station in the nation.
All the glass from Recycling Works’ curbside pickup and drop-off events is processed in a glass transfer station in Missoula. Recycling Works lightly crushes it, and then sends it down on backhaul trucks to the nearest glass recycling facility, Momentum Recycling, in Salt Lake City. At Momentum, the primary uses for glass are manufacturing new glass bottles and containers, and fiberglass manufacturing. In total, Recycling Works recycles more than 700,000 pounds of glass per year!
Recycling Works is also the official glass recycler for Glacier National Park, now beginning its second recycling season for the Park this summer. Glass that Recycling Works can accept includes:
All colors of clean, Food Grade glass; Glass with labels. Glass that Recycling Works CANNOT accept: Glass with residue (please remove food and lids) and other glass ( windows, light bulbs, Pyrex, etc.).
The Seeley Lake Community Foundation engages philanthropy, provides leadership, and enhances the quality of life and economic vitality of the Seeley Lake area. A community foundation gathers resources for its local area. The SLCF is proud to help gather funding and service providers, and help connect the dots to bring programs to Seeley Lake residents. And, local schools will benefit. It is a win-win-win!
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