06/12/07 Recycling plastic containers

The state of Idaho has a program that recycles plastic fertilizer containers and best of all it costs growers nothing. The triple rinsed containers, with lid and label book removed, are chipped and later turned into recycled products and building materials. Vic Mason heads up the chipping program for the Idaho Department of Agriculture and this year he added a second truck and stationed it in eastern Idaho. MASON "Its going to have a mast on it basically like a fork lift which will be permanently stationed on top of the truck on the bed of the truck so all the chips will be loaded on the bed of the truck so that I don't even need the hoister to help load it onto the truck." Last year more than 140 thousand containers never made it to Idaho landfills, thanks to this program. Mason's office has a regular schedule and you can find that at ISDA website, www.agri.idaho.gov. You can also call 465-8442 and let Mason know that you have containers you want to recycle. MASON "We'll drive right out to their site and either grind them up on site or we'll pick them up in a bag. If they don't have any we'll give them bags and they can put it bags and we'll put it on the truck and take it to the next place." Mason says all they want is rinsed, clean containers and a helping hand tossing them into the truck. Today's Idaho Ag News Bill Scott