Living in Montana, it can be easy to distance ourselves from news stories about the island of plastic floating in the ocean that is nearly the size of Alaska. Issues with plastic waste are not limited to the oceans, micro plastics have been found in waters across the U.S., including Montana.
The most effective way to address the plastic issue is to reduce the plastic we buy and use at grocery stores, restaurants, coffee shops, etc. Reducing single-use plastic is a critical step to eliminate plastic waste because most plastic is not recyclable. In addition to limitations in general plastic processing, recycling in Montana is often further limited due to infrastructure and transportation issues. Each community must recognize limitations and only recycle items accepted by local recycling programs. The key to maintaining these programs is to reduce recycling contamination, which occurs when recycled items contain food waste, when non-recyclable items go in bins, or when items go in the wrong bins. Recycling contamination costs money to remove or could cause the entire bin to be sent to the landfill. Most local programs in Montana only accept #1 and #2 plastics, but this may vary by location. In the Gallatin valley for example, most plastic collection is currently limited to items labeled with #1 or #2, and having a bottle or jug shape (plastic bag recycling is available at some retail stores). Before recycling, ensure plastic waste is accepted by the local recycling program and is clean of any contamination. If in doubt, throw it out.
Critical things to avoid
• No Contamination – remove food waste from containers before recycling
• No Wishful Recycling – only recycle things you know a recycling collector accepts, not things you hope they accept