May 20th brought me to downtown Chadron though several minutes later than I had hoped to arrive. My family, headed to Panhandle Gymnastics’ 5th Annual Springfest, watched at the stop sign as the Keep Alliance Beautiful pickup and green trailer turned south onto Highway 385 at 12:03. I would have to find out about the community’s initial recycling event on Monday.
As the followup collection nears, I reached out to Keep Chadron Beautiful (KCB) Director Susan Hucke.
“The initial collection proved that the Chadron Community is ready to reestablish recycling. Over 40 people brought 1,460 pounds of recyclables,” she said. “Community members volunteered to help advertise and organize the event and process the materials.”
Future events are planned for the third Saturday of each month, Susan explained, with the possible exception of July as the third Saturday coincides with Fur Trade Days. The next event is scheduled for June 17.
Area residents who were there in May are looking forward to returning this month. As I walked into The Chadron Record last week bundles of newspapers at the Chadron Record seemed to speak for themselves. Former Times-Herald colleague Mark Dykes, the publication’s editor, was there prepping to cover an upcoming school board meeting. He said that people do stop by asking for papers to aid in packing, gardening, art projects and other endeavors yet without a recycling outlet until now he has run out of storage room, filling his alley trash bin on occasion with the overflow. Trailer or bed of the KAB truck, I’m sure we’ll see plenty of newsprint.
Mark described his town’s response on the 20th as a smaller group initially then a bigger second wave later in the morning. He said an aluminum car crusher/baler proved to be a big hit. A local man who has recycled for years offered the use of the equipment. Donations to pay for transport flowed along with the recycling.
“Comments received from the Chadron community were nothing but positive,” Susan commented. “Keep Chadron Beautiful and the recycling committee have received an abundance of ‘Thank you for bringing Recycling back to Chadron’ comments,” as well as an extension of “appreciation to Keep Alliance Beautiful!”
Executive Director Kathy Worley and Recycling Supervisor G.O. Thompson were on hand from Keep Alliance Beautiful. “The Nebraska Bank parking lot was the perfect place to hold the event,” Kathy said, “visible to passersby, with plenty of room for the participants, and lots of shade for volunteers. Thank you Chadron for bringing your recycling.”
In the days since, KCB Recycling Coordinator Bill Simones has hauled a weekly load of corrugated and fiberboard cardboard (all broken down flat) from Chadron businesses. He and KAB staff bale everything filling the trailer and pickup bed, representing about 30 cubic yards (pre-compaction).
During the week of May 21, for example, KAB began receiving loads from a Chadron business. Ace Hardware, who bales its own cardboard, made two round trips – a bit over 200 miles – to contribute more than a ton to the center’s inventory. The driver mentioned that he planned to follow up with a furniture store on what happens to their cardboard.
I welcome Chadron as a major spoke to KAB’s hub within our coverage area this spring. Perhaps Chadron State College will step up to the plate by the fall semester. Walking around Chadron, the only place I found any public recycling bins (as opposed to the cardboard cages adjacent to businesses) was at the Nebraska National Forest Ranger Station. The woman manning the desk over the noon hour was unsure where their recycling ends up.
Before lining up this weekend in Chadron – for a second or maybe first time – please help our Keep America Beautiful affiliates be effective and efficient. Sorting materials (clean and dry) into smaller bags within larger ones cuts down our processing time immensely. Also, to find out what the KAB recycling center accepts, call us at 308-763-1410 during office hours 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.