Recycling

The large blue containers around the community, and at the Transfer Station is where you can dispose of Corrugated Cardboard. Please remove all packing materials and break boxes down. We do not accept lightweight cardboard or paperboard. 

Cardboard is the second largest commodity recycled by the City of Helena, with over 900 tons being diverted from the landfill every year. 

Cardboard is also one of the most expensive commodities to recycle, the City pays Pacific Steel and Recycling $25 a ton to bail and process cardboard. Recycling is paid for through City of Helena and Scratch Gravel Residents residential solid waste fee, so keeping contamination rates low, help to keep solid waste fees low. 

All drop-off locations throughout the community, and the Transfer Station accept these recyclables: 

• Aluminum- Beverage cans, TV dinner trays, foil, and food containers.
• Steel Cans-Tin and steel food cans. Labels are okay.
• Newspaper- Inserts and ads accepted.
• Office Paper- White and pastel colors only
• Magazines- Nothing thicker than ½ “. No books or large catalogs.

Please don't leave recyclables in plastic bags, or set outside of bins. This increases contamination rates, attracts vermin, and creates more work for our drivers. Do your part and recycle correctly. 

Here is what not to do: 

Broken glass can be a safety hazard to the public, and contamination rates in plastic are so high that the City made the decision to only accept these recyclables at this location. When you are coming to the Transfer Station keep these guidelines in mind when you recycle your plastic or glass: 

• Mixed Container Glass- Clear, brown and green glass may be mixed. All lids, corns and flow-control inserts must be removed and disposed of
  • Rinse containers with water and leave no food residue in the recyclable containers.
  • Ensure recyclables are clean, dry, and empty after rinse. 

• Plastics- #1 Clear Bottles, #1 Clear Trays, #2 Milk Jugs & #2 Colored. Rinsed/No Lids.
  • No black Plastics accepted. 

Contamination rates, distance to manufacture, and a volatile market make these two commodities more difficult to process. Glass is currently shipped to Momentum Recycling in Salt Lake City Utah, to be repurposed into insulation, costing the City close to $38,000 a year. Plastic is bailed and processed by Helena Recycling, costing $170 a ton, with an average of 60 tons being diverted from the landfill every year. 

In order to mitigate these two issues, the City has been working diligently to find a solution. This includes, applying for grants to purchase a plastic bailer, and also partnering with a group of MSU students to reduce the amount of contamination in glass recycling. Click the link to read the final report of the Montana State University Glass Recycling Improvement Project.(PDF, 49MB)

Glass and plastic is however accepted in our Curbside Recycling program, through Helena Recycling. Follow the link to sign up.

Yard Waste such as tree limbs, grass clippings and leaves are accepted at the Transfer Station. Yard waste is deducted from your permits annual allowance. 

Did you know that yard waste, when disposed of in your trash can and sent to the landfill, decomposes and contributes to the amount of Green House Gases released into the atmosphere. 

Each year, 4000 tons of yard waste is diverted from the landfill. It is then mixed with biosolids from the Wastewater Treatment Plant and turned into compost available to the Helena community. Contact the Lewis and Clark Landfill for more information on compost!