Plastic pesticide container recycling available
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PABLO — Empty plastic pesticide containers can now be recycled in Lake County. The Environmental Protection Agency, Montana Department of Agriculture, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal Natural Resources Department and Lake County Weed Control are working cooperatively on this recycling project.
Jasmine Brown, from the CSKT Natural Resources Department, Environmental Protection Division, said about 100 containers per week are used this time of year. Not only are the plastic containers bulky and take up a lot of room in the landfill, but if there is any product left in the receptacle it will eventually seep into the landfill when the containers disintegrate.
To address this issue about two years ago the state applied for and received an EPA grant. The grant paid for a truck that travels across Montana and grinds up all clean plastic pesticide containers made of #2 High Density Polyethylene. The plastic flakes can then be used for products such as landscape edging, speed bumps and pallets.
Since the truck visited both Missoula and Kalispell, it went through the Flathead Reservation and could stop in Lake County.
Before pesticide containers can be recycled, there are some preparatory steps.
• The containers need to be triple rinsed.
• Lids, foil liners and label booklets need to be removed.
• Metal handle and rubber gaskets also need to be removed.
• The containers also need to be sawed in half.
• No metal containers can be recycled.
The first pesticide container recycling effort was not very successful since no one wanted to cut the containers in half Brown said.
To make it easier to recycle, Conrad Durglo from CSKT Natural Resource Department will be on hand with a saw to help recyclers saw their containers in half on Thursdays.
The big tan recycling container will be located at 39673 County Facility Lane. Commercial users, farmers, ranchers and home users are encouraged to bring their containers to the facility on Thursdays.
