Recycle Hi-Line teams up to bring e-recycle event to Havre

Recycle Hi-Line has partnered with Pacific Steel and Recycling, and Collective Recyclers of Billings to host an e-recycle event Saturday, Sept. 10. This event will allow residents a safe and convenient way to recycle unwanted electronics.

Typically, Pacific has a per-pound charge to take items such as TVs and monitors. This charge is due to the costs for shipping, through end of life fees for that item. EPA regulations require meticulous handling and documentation for cathode ray tubes — CRTs — and hazardous substances in electronics. E-waste collection events such as this have proven to be a good way to help residents protect the environment by preventing old computers, televisions, and other types of electronic devices from reaching the landfill.

Disposing of e-waste in landfills has the potential to cause severe human and environmental health impacts. Many electronic devices include heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic. These can be toxic and will pollute the air, ground and water. If not handled properly, these can poison our environment and threaten the health of individuals and communities.

You can make a difference in the environment! Whether you’re looking to do some fall cleaning, clean out your garage or storage closet and free-up the junk drawer, here is a way to make it happen. All those old obsolete computers, cellphones, ethernet cables, phone cords, mismatched chargers and grandma’s refrigerator that you’ve been holding onto will finally have a destination.

Another very exciting opportunity we will offer at this September drive is freon evacuation from cooling units. We will be accepting freon-based appliances such as AC units, fridges and freezers. This is a great opportunity to clean out your garage and basement while being environmentally responsible.

Thanks to the commitment and cooperation of Pacific Steel and Recycling, Walmart and Montana State University-Northern Sustainability, Recycle Hi-Line is able to hold a monthly event from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. on the third Saturday of each month — with some exceptions, such as Sept. 10. Area residents can bring cardboard, paper, glass, e-waste, aluminum, tin and numbers 1, 2, 4 and 5 plastic products — check the number inside the triangle on the bottom of the item — but you don’t need to hoard all your recyclables until the monthly drive. Many items can be brought to Pacific during regular business hours.

Tips to speed your recycle drive drop off — and help the Recycle Hi-Line volunteers:

• Please keep your recyclable types separate from each other.  No mixing of cardboard, paper, aluminum, plastic, etc, together.

• Please sort your glass by color.

• Please clean plastic containers, remove the lids but include them in the bag.

• Please put Nos. 1, 2 and 4 together.

• Please put No. 5s separate.

By doing these things, you will be helping our volunteers spend less time handling the recyclables.

Recycle Hi-Line would like to challenge you to take this pledge:

• Learn. I will find out what materials are collected for recycling in my community.

• Act. Reduce my personal waste by refusing, reusing, repurposing and recycling. Within the next month, I will reduce.

• Share. In the next month, I will encourage one family member or one friend to take the pledge.

How about it, friends and neighbors — Are you up to the challenge?

Please check out our website, https://recyclehiline.org/about-us/ or our current brochure for more information or call Sue at 265-5703.

Wanda Meredith, Chair

Recycle Hi-Line