A demand for recycling in Whitefish

Sometimes, when one reads a newspaper article, what is important is not what is written, it is what is not written. The article in point (Pilot Aug. 20) featured the removal of Whitefish’s Wisconsin Avenue recycling site.

Citing illegal dumping, this location was removed from private commercial property. It provided recycling access to the north end of town for city and county residents — those living to the north, off East Lakeshore and the Big Mountain. Even with accelerated service, the site was unable to accommodate this population. Because the local businesses had common refuse containers, neighbors and visitors took advantage of these as well.

What was not written was that there is a greater demand for recycling than the current number of sites can handle. Now we have one less. The demand for recycling is a good thing. How we accommodate that demand is key. Drive by the City Beach location and observe its overflowing condition. It is critical that the city and county address this situation in a timely manner.

We need to thank John Kramer and his partners in the Alpine Centre for their patience, willingness, and generosity over the past years, for this site. John is an outstanding steward of Whitefish and our surrounding community. Hopefully the city will be able to find additional locations so we can continue to responsibly recycle.

— Ken Williams lives in Whitefish