Uinta Recycling presents at chamber luncheon

Connie V. Scott, Herald Reporter
Posted 4/20/17

Earth Day is April 22

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Uinta Recycling presents at chamber luncheon

Posted

EVANSTON — Uinta  Recycling, Inc. (URI) gave a short presentation at the monthly Chamber of Commerce luncheon Thursday afternoon, April 13.

URI President Tib Ottley shared the organization’s history and goals, emphasizing the importance of partnerships and volunteerism.

“This is not a money maker,” said Ottley. “We typically lose money every time we truck a load to Utah. We only make money on white paper, which we only do three to four times per year.”

URI has partnered with the City of Evanston and Uinta County, both providing equipment and funding to help the center provide continued services to the community.

“The city donated some equipment and we bought a truck from them,” he said. “In 2015, the County started giving us $32,000 per year to help with operating costs. We’ll sit down with them again this year.”

Forming in 2005-06, URI is a Wyoming non-profit organization, focused on keeping waste out of our local landfill.

“Since its start, we have kept over 1,000 tons from our landfill. That’s quite a bit,” he said. “Bridger Valley is closing their landfill soon and it will transfer to our landfill.”

Ottley said he doesn’t know much about landfill life spans, but is certain the closing of the Bridger Valley landfill will affect the life-span of the Evanston landfill.

“Right now, we dump around 21 tons a day of waste into the landfill,” he said. “We will add between 10 to 15 tons more with Bridger Valley’s waste.”

On average, nearly 35 percent of waste nationwide is recycled, but only 2.5 percent in Uinta County, according to Ottley.

“We certainly have a ways to go,” he said.

The recycling center currently accepts the following items:

• Corrugated cardboard/paperboard

• Mixed papers: catalogs, newspapers, junk mail, magazines and phone books

• White office paper

• Aluminum cans

• Steel/tin cans & other metals

• Brown glass

• Mixed glass

• Batteries (not car batteries)

TVs, computer monitors, computers and laptops ($10 donation requested for these items)

• Cellphones and printer cartridges

URI has partnered with the high school girls volleyball team with the cellphone and ink cartridges recycling.

“We collect the items for the team and they sell them to earn money,” said Ottley.

Currently the center does not accept plastics, used motor oils or packing materials; however, there are locations for recycling in Evanston.

Plastics can be taken to WalMart. They ask that items be clean and placed in the metal cage bins outside the northeast corner of the store.

Used motor oils can be dropped off at AutoZone (up to 5 gallons), Jiffy Lube (up to 1.5 gallons), Wal-Mart (up to 2 gallons) and during the countywide cleanup day in May of each year.

Packing materials, such as packing peanuts, Styrofoam and bubble wrap may be recycled at the Shipping Store on Front Street.

The center is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m and closed on Sunday.

Many of the center’s hours are covered by volunteers, including all Saturday hours.

“Our volunteers are so vital to keeping things running smoothly,” said Ottley.

For those interested in membership or donating to the organization, URI has a number of membership levels and is a 501(c)3 organization, making donations tax deductible.

If interested in learning more about Uinta Recycling Center, call URI at (307) 789-5878 or stop by the center at 100 China Mary Rd.