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Hudson Garbage sees increase in customer recycling JEREMY C. RUARK jruark@countrymedia.net
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Hudson Garbage, a primary garbage and trash collector in Columbia County, continues to serve its customers with recycling options. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the company reports an approximate 25% increase in residential recycle tonnage. Hudson’s Customer Service Lead Mariah Byrd said customers are embracing recycling options. “Yes, because our recycle program is relatively strong,” she said. “I believe everyone loves the concept of keeping as much out of the landfill as possible.” Hudson’s Garbage Site Manager Kanale Tumlinson stated in a 2021 interview that it’s important for community members to recycle at homes and businesses to help keep tons of recycling material out of the landfills each year. “Recycling also helps to reduce our carbon footprint, the material can be reused in ev-
Courtesy photo from Hudson Garbage
Hudson Garbage is a primary recycling source in Columbia County. eryday items,” Tumlinson said. “It is also important we clean certain items before we recycle, such as mayonnaise and ketchup bottles. Food contaminated items such as pizza boxes, is not recycling due to the food residue left on the cardboard.” Hudson Garbage collects recycling in St. Helens, Columbia City, Rainier, and Clatskanie. Recycling is also picked up in the unincorporated areas of Columbia County such as Warren, Deer Island, and Goble. The majority of Hudson’s recycling comes from the city of St. Helens, due to the population and the continued annual growth
of the city. Hudson provides 65- and 95-gallon roll carts, offering weekly recycling pickup in St. Helens and every-other week recycling pick in other service areas of the county. Items that are acceptable in the roll cart are – paper, cardboard, plastic bottles and tubs, and metal. Items that are not accepted are – No plastic bags, Styrofoam, glass, food items such as pizza boxes, and clamshells. In St. Helens city limits, recycling and yard debris service is included in Hudson’s residential garbage service which
is $57.34 every other month. Commercial comingle recycling service is $9.20 per cart per month. Customers are asked to sort their recycling (commingle) at home. Once the materials are picked up on a specific service date by Hudson, the trucks bring the material to the Columbia County Transfer Station. The material is then loaded commingle into 48-foot trailers that are sent to a material recovery facility. The materials are then sorted on a sort line by automated robots and workers. The sorted product is baled then sent to several plants to be reused. Byrd said Hudson is considering a new recycling option which would be setting up a reuse facility at the transfer station with the county. “The concept would be that nonprofits would be welcome to gather any items from this re-use area,” she said. For more information about recycling or other garbagerelated issues, contact Hudson Garbage at 503-397-1534.
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Page 2 • Reduce Reuse Recycle 2022
RRR 2022 Engage your children in recycling
The Chronicle and The Chief are proud to partner with local businesses and nonprofit agencies to present this 2022 Reduce Reuse Recycle special section. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency states that recycling one ton of paper saves the equivalent of 17 trees and 7,000 gallons of water. Recycling continues to be an important element to help protect our planet. In this special presentation, we offer just a few options that our community can take to make a positive difference in preserving the planet.
be reinforced. “By designating different roles to your kids, they can learn about the importance of recycling,” the website reads. Fair Harbor also lists ways to engage your kids in recycling efforts.
Metro Creative Connection
Helping children learn and be engaged in recycling
According to the Fair Harbor website, educating children about recycling is important to help protect and preserve the environment. “By teaching your kids about eco-friendly practices and using them in your home, they will understand not only where trash ends up, but how they can be a part of producing less waste,” the Fair Harbor’s website states, adding that recycling is not hard, but it does need to
• Put them in charge of something, such as collecting all the aluminum. • Make it a game when grocery shopping by having them find items with the least amount of packaging. • Give them the job of making sure all unused electronics that use standby power are unplugged. • Make sorting recycling items such as plastic bottles, papers and cans a part of family time. • Encourage them to reuse things as much as possible. • Have them turn off the water while brushing their teeth. • Turn off switches before leaving the room.
A key element is helping our children understand the value of reducing, reusing and recycling. It is a simple strategy that each of us can use to ease the impact on our planet. Jeremy C. Ruark Publisher / Executive Editor Zoe Gottlieb General Assignment Reporter Katherine Mace Marketing Consultant James Yang Graphic Artist Kelli Nicholson Office Manager Jon Lowrance Driver
Courtesy photo from the Scappoose Watershed Council
Reuse, Recycle on your property
Columbia County residents have an opportunity to reuse and recycle on their property. The State of Oregon has a competitive Small Grants Program available to county residents. Landowners work in partnership with the Scappoose Bay Watershed Council, and other local resources, to apply for eligible grants. The grants can cover 75% of the project costs, up to $15,000, for on-the-ground restoration projects on private land in our area. The first step is to contact the Scappoose Watershed
Council to discuss your project and schedule a site visit. Together, you and the council can determine the best options for your situation. Depending on the options, a small grant may work for you. If not, the council can offer other ideas to help. Eligible projects can include: • Stream bank planting or wildlife habitat improvements • Invasive weed control • Native plantings • Erosion control • Wetland restoration • Pollinator habitat creation or enhancements
• Oak habitat improvements
The Scappoose Bay Watershed Council’s mission We promote and support a healthy watershed through projects that protect and restore native fish, wildlife, and plants, and by working with the community to educate and encourage participation in enhancing and enjoying their natural surroundings. For more information, contact the Scappoose Watershed Council at 503-397-7904.
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Reduce Reuse Recycle 2022 • Page 3
Local city offers Earth Day events according to the local Earth Day organizers.
ZOE GOTTLIEB chronicle2@countrymedia.net
In honor of Earth Day, Scappoose city officials welcome the public to show their appreciation for the rich, biodiverse land known as the “gateway to Columbia County.” The 2022 Scappoose Parks and Recreation Committee Earth Day Celebration commences at 9 a.m. Saturday, April 23 at Heritage Park in Scappoose. Event attendees will pick up trash at Chapman Landing on the Crown Zellerbach Trail, followed by an 11 a.m. nature walk led by the Scappoose Bay Watershed Council. Also at 11 a.m., the Scappoose Library will host free Earth Day activities for kids. Beyond its proximity to the Columbia River, Scappoose offers a host of waterways and a suitable environment for waterfowl, salmon, red-legged frogs, and northwestern salamanders,
History of Earth Day Earth Day, held on April 22 each year, transcends geographic boundaries, uniting the globe in a shared mission of environmental activism. Referred to as “the largest secular observance in the world,” Earth Day is considered a day of action to “change human behavior and create global, national, and local policy changes,” according to the earthday.org website. Before Earth Day, industries had free reign to pump pollutants into the atmosphere without regard for consequences. Then two major catalysts occurred: the 1962 publication of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, raising environmental concerns caused by human behaviors, and the 1969 oil spill in Santa Barbara, California. According to National
Geographic magazine, Wisconsin Sen. Gaylord Nelson, with the help of Harvard graduate student Denis Hayes, organized the first Earth Day to educate students about the importance of environmental conservation. Nelson announced the Earth Day concept at a conference in Seattle in the fall of 1969 and invited the entire nation to get involved, History.com reports. The response to the movement was overwhelming, according to his remarks: “The wire services carried the story from coast to coast. The response was electric. It took off like gangbusters. Telegrams, letters, and telephone inquiries poured in from all across the country. The American people finally had a forum to express concern about what was happening to the land, rivers, lakes, and air—and they did so with spectacular exuberance.” Today, the movement has gained a foothold in 192 countries and encompasses 1 billion people.
Recognition of Earth Day also set environmentally-conscious legislation into motion, including the Clean Air and Water Act, the 1972 Endangered Species Act, and the formation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). A ‘multifaceted benefit’
“Earth Day events provide a multifaceted benefit,” said Isaac Butman, assistant to Scappoose City Manager Alexandra Rains. “Engaging with Earth Day can build a foundation of environmental stewardship, an appreciation for the natural world and the creatures and plants that inhabit it, and help create a more environmentally conscious community.” According to Butman, the Scappoose Earth Day Celebration began in 2019 and was a huge success, with “a turnout of around 100 people.” The city canceled the event in 2020 due to COVID-19. “The City of Scappoose and
the Scappoose Parks and Recreation Committee is excited to be able to present this event once again,” Butman said. The committee has a shared mission with Scappoose Adventure Fest, a September event “highlight(ing) the amazing parks system in Scappoose.” Other aims of the Earth Day Celebration include “helping motivate people to enjoy the parks, tak(e) care of the environment, and appreciate the great outdoors.” In getting involved beyond Earth Day, Butman said the Scappoose Bay Watershed Council (SBWC) was the first organization that came to mind. “SBWC works on projects that support a healthy watershed by protecting and restoring native fish, wildlife, and plants (and) encourages participation by the community by educating, restoring, and preserving our natural world,” he said. There are a variety of local groups doing environmental protection work, including Co-lum-
bia Soil & Water Conservation District, Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership, the Port of Columbia County, Columbia County, and others, according to Butman. To find a list of organizations engaging in environmental protection and rehabilitation along the Columbia River, visit columbiainsight.org. April 18-23 Scavenger Hunt The City of Scappoose will also be holding a scavenger hunt to encourage exploration of the city’s seven parks. Visit: https://forms.gle/CG4G2Tk9DQyEmvJq9 to complete the Scavenger Hunt in the spirit of Earth Day. Scavenger Hunt participants are asked to submit their completed form to ibutman@ cityofscappoose.org no later than 5 p.m. April 23 to be entered into a drawing for prizes. For more information, visit facebook.com/CityofScappoose.
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