121 South Douglas |
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As part of Community GATE's programming efforts, Yellowstone Recycling was started to provide a work site for the Office of Public Assistance’s clientele and to keep newspaper and cardboard out of the local landfill. Cenex Harvest States donated the GTA elevator, bean plant, warehouse and the land, one quarter of a block on Bell & Clough Street, facing the Yellowstone River. They also donated $70,000 to Community GATE in case the building had to be torn down.
In its five years of existence, the amount of paper and cardboard recycled would cover a football field 4 feet deep compacted. The warehouse was destroyed by fire on August 7, 2004 by teenage arsons. It took the balance of the funding to clean up the burned buildings and level the land.
Yellowstone Recycling resumed recycling newspaper in April 2005. Today, it is all sorted by hand approximately 10 hours a week. It takes about 10 weeks to fill the rented trailer, which is then taken to Billings. Once full, the trailer carries 25,000-28,000 pounds of newspaper compounded 5 feet deep and 28 feet long. Yellowstone Recycling is only able to recycle newspaper at this time, which can be dropped off in the designated area near the old GTA elevator near the Bell Street Bridge.