The recycling depot at the Mt. Hood Town Hall recently passed a major milestone. Upper Hood River Valley residents have recycled one million pounds of materials since its opening in 2006. The recycling depot is a team approach among the Town Hall, Hood River Garbage and Tri-County Waste and Recycling. Hood River Garbage hauls and markets the materials collected at the site.
Jim Winterbottom, manager of HRG, said, “Hood River Garbage continues to be impressed with the recycling depot at the Mt. Hood Town Hall and both the quality and quantity of materials being collected. We appreciate the efforts of Town Hall volunteers to oversee the depot, to educate the public on what can be recycled there, and the flexibility the volunteers and community members have always extended to HRG as we service the depot.”
The depot is open from 8 a.m. to dusk each day. Recyclers often are greeted by John Ashby, a Mt. Hood Town Hall volunteer who manages the depot. Recycled materials must be separated three ways. The general recycling box takes waste paper, cardboard, and plastic and metal containers. There is a second box just for glass bottles and jars. And, the third box serves as a donation center for pop, beer and water bottles and cans that carry a five cent refund.
“A million pounds (500 tons) is an amazing amount of material to recycle at the depot,” said Bob Danko, also a Town Hall volunteer. “It shows that there are a lot of people in the Upper Valley who want to do the right thing when managing our waste.”
Danko encourages even more recycling at the depot but also asks everyone to please follow directions on what is accepted. “Please do not recycle plastic bags, styrofoam, clamshell food containers, or waxed or foil lined juice and milk cartons. These are considered contaminants and can’t be recycled at the depot. And of course, please pick up any litter at the site and never leave any materials outside of the boxes.”
The bottle and can donation center was added last year to raise funds for the continued restoration of the 103 year old Mt. Hood Town Hall. The building served as a public school for its first 50 years, and now serves as a community center for Upper Valley residents. Sixty thousand bottles and cans were donated during the last half of 2016.
To read the full story, visit http://www.hoodrivernews.com/news/2017/feb/04/mt-hood-depot-reaches-million-pounds-recycled/.