POLSON – A $20,000 federal stimulus grant received by the city of Polson and an additional $20,000 grant expected by Lake County will finance an aggressive recycling program here.
City Manager Todd Crossett said, not only does the public expect such a program – especially in a tourist area – but it’s also an opportunity to set an example for other similar cities and tourist areas.
“We’re trying to create some momentum, set up some critical infrastructure and take on a leadership role in creating a recycling culture here,” he said in an interview after announcing the successful grant application at a recent city Commission meeting.
Recycling stations will be placed in 15 locations at city parks, in the downtown business area and at special events. The four public schools also will be provided with weather-proof bins.
The Polson Recycles Project, which Crossett said begins soon, will be in cooperation with the Polson School District, Lake County and the Polson Chamber of Commerce.
City employees will collect the numerous containers of paper, aluminum cans, No. 1 and No. 2 plastic, magazines, white office paper, corrugated cardboard and catalogues and transport them to the county’ solid waste recycling facility south of town.
While there is a considerable initial investment required to put wheels on the project, Crossett said the potential benefit to all involved outweighs the cost.
“Sometimes spending the money up front is the fiscally responsible thing to do,” said Crossett.
Project manager Karen Sargeant, the city’s parks director, previously developed a recycling program in Brevard County, Fla,. by establishing partnerships between students, staff, administrators and the waste management company.
Under the plan, the amount of trash taken to either the landfill or the Lake County Transfer Station, where a fee is then paid to ferry it to Missoula, would be reduced.
That could allow for the growth of the recycling program, which, if it became self-sustaining, would fund improvements and expansions of the program.
The goal of the program is to increase the recycling rate to more than 10 percent in the first year.
The grant application notes that of the 6,000 tons of available recyclable waste, only about 300 tons actually gets recycled. The project is expected to add another 600 tons of recyclables.
While no jobs are created by the recycling project, the stimulus grants will create or maintain 448 employment hours that will provide winter job security, Crossett said.
But perhaps just as important as raising local awareness about recycling, Crossett said green awareness is increasingly expected by visitors and considered when making a decision of where to spend recreational dollars.
With a bevy of community festivals and activities drawing thousands of tourists to town, visitors often have asked where to dispose of their recyclable materials, said Crossett.
“There’s a certain expectation,” he said. “People make judgments. There’s a green factor that people are starting to look at.”