GARBAGE: The recycling factor

There is a topic that is another important part of the drastic increase in garbage for the county and I have not seen addressed recently.

At the end of 2020, all large container-sized bins for recycling were removed from all of the rural garbage stations and from areas within the community as well (old Rathdrum fire station), with the exception of flattened cardboard.

This means that other cardboard, newspapers, aluminum cans, etc., must all be hauled by the consumer to either the transfer station on Ramsey in Coeur d’Alene or out in Hauser. This was already the case for plastics but now ALMOST everything has to be accumulated and hauled long distances to be responsible about recycling.

I for one, along with probably many more citizens, have now STOPPED recycling all together. Everything now just goes in the garbage. More garbage, more expansion of the landfill will be required. REALLY? This is more cost effective than having area recycling stations?

As it is, a few years ago, the rural sites on Highway 41 at Twin Lakes was combined with the one at Highways 53 and 95. The new “central location” is on Ramsey at Chilco.

So once a week on the way to Rathdrum I drive out of the way to get there from Spirit Lake. Not going to drive into Coeur d’Alene or out to Hauser to dump recycling!

Taxpayers are paying through the nose for this mismanagement and this issue will continue to escalate exponentially as the population grows.

PATRICIA MYERS

Spirit Lake