Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
In a Guess the Weight activity at the Kimball Recycling Center Open House, bales of cardboard, plastic bottles, plastic boxes and aluminum were displayed to estimate the weight. Don Bates contemplates the weight of the baled aluminum cans.
Everyone was a winner at the Kimball Recycling Center open house in honor of America Recycles Day on Wednesday, Nov. 15. Every participant received a gift or a prize and free promotional products.
Kimball Recycling Center Executive Director Spud Rowley's celebration included breakfast, lunch and dinner, along with raffles and a guessing contest for his guests. He gave tours and provided education on recycling.
Over 50 people enjoyed the games, food and gifts at the Kimball facility. Everyone who came was intrigued by the process, and they were all strong recycling supporters.
Recycling has been simplified; plastics of any kind are co-mingled. According to Rowley, the biggest recycling commodity is cardboard and packaging. Kimball's downtown area has successfully participated in the saving and recycling of cardboard.
He confessed that the only negative comments he ever receives about recycling in Kimball is the question, "When am I going to get a tote in my alley?" He considers it a bonus that people want the totes. Although the totes are expensive to supply to every alley, they are trying to work on it.
Much like the open house, recycling is a win-win situation for the town of Kimball, the residents and the landfill. In 2018, 622,000 pounds of material was recycled from the Kimball area. A study reported that recycling saved the local landfill 2¼ years in landfill space, thus saving just under $300,000 in landfill costs locally.
Every week, over 18,000 pounds of recycling materials leave Kimball destined to become a new product, including plastics, aluminum and cardboard. Last year, Pine Bluffs, Banner County, Kimball County and outlying areas recycled 1,260,000 pounds of materials.
As the year concludes, Rowley has reports to complete, prepping for next year, and considering and preparing grant materials. Grants focus on a three-tier idea, including public education, waste reduction and recycling.
Winners of the American Recycles Day Guess the Weight contest: Bill Mueller was closest to the correct weight of 950 pounds for the cardboard bale, and the plastic bottle bale weighed 575 pounds with Ryan McElroy and Chuck Christensen the closest to that weight. The aluminum can bale weight was 125 pounds, and Darcee Wheeland and Toni Boos had the closest weight. Cathy Sibal, Loretta Copeland, Arnie Lewison and Tanya Richnow were the closest to the correct weight on the plastic box bale, which was 480 pounds.