Downtown Recycling Expands

Downtown BID adds 15 Recycling Bins to City-Center Public Sidewalks

With a focus on reducing waste and encouraging recycling, the Downtown Business Improvement District (BID) purchased and installed 15 new recycling bins on the sidewalks of Downtown Missoula April 6-7. The investment was supported by the Missoula Redevelopment Agency and the City of Missoula Climate Action Team.

Since 2006, the Downtown Business Improvement District has been responsible for the removal of garbage and recycling from the street cans in the district. Staff from the Downtown Missoula Partnership (DMP) inspect and remove garbage from 110 street cans on a daily basis. Last year, more than 1,200 yards of garbage were removed from the Downtown district by the DMP’s maintenance crew. Recycling in Downtown Missoula consists primarily of aluminum, plastic and small cardboard. Glass recycling is not available in the public right of way in Downtown Missoula.

The 15 new, blue 36-gallon receptacles were located in high-traffic areas, and some of the older receptacles were relocated to outlying areas. This is the first year of a three-year project, and 15 more receptacles will be purchased and placed in the next two years. The new additions bring the recycling bins to a total of 30.

“The Downtown BID is dedicated to ensuring Downtown Missoula is clean, safe and economically prosperous,” said Charlie Beaton, President of the BID Board and owner of Big Dipper Ice Cream. “Our maintenance crew and Downtown Clean Team carry a significant amount of garbage out of our Downtown, and more effective recycling will help keep recyclable materials out of the landfill. We are committed to helping our community reach its collective goal of becoming a zero-waste community by 2050.”

“The City of Missoula has committed to a zero-waste future, and community partnerships like this are the way we’ll get there, said Leigh Ratterman, Climate and Sustainability Specialist for the City of Missoula. “Public recycling bins in our downtown area not only provide additional opportunities to divert material from the landfill, but also help showcase Missoula’s environmental sustainability commitments to the people who live, work, and play in Missoula.”

For more information on garbage and recycling in Downtown Missoula, contact the Downtown Missoula Partnership office via phone (406-543-4238) or email ([email protected]).

 

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