By Linda P
Recently, looking at a handful of baling twine, it made me recall a post I did quite a while ago, What do you do with all that baling twine? I thought I would revisit this and share some recycling resources.
Baling twine just seems to accumulate, with most of it winding up in the landfill. You can’t burn it, the polypropylene twine emits toxic fumes. Worse, is how it can impact wildlife. When wildlife and livestock ingest baling twine they can become seriously ill or die. Twine also poses a deadly strangling hazard to birds. According to Waste-Not Recycling, researchers have reported that baling twine is responsible for entangling and killing around 10 percent of osprey chicks annually in some states (photo right: © Idaho Department of Fish and Game).
I reached out to Kennedy Roddy, Education and Outreach Specialist, Boulder County Resource Conservation Division. I was told that this material is NOT recyclable in curbside collections, and was directed to Waste-Not Recycling in Johnstown. I found they offered a great recycling program, list of collection sites by county, and information about setting up a program at your barn. They also offer “Bedder“, an animal bedding, that is dust and spore free. It is excellent for at home, stall or shows; and is 100% recyclable, rapidly composts and an excellent worm breeding environment. Please visit them online to find out more.
In addition JAX offers baling twine recycling drop-off at their locations in Fort Collins, Loveland, Lafayette, and Broomfield.
What Can you Do?
Think about starting a collection area at your barn. We all visit JAX for feed or other supplies, and it’s easy to set up a calendar and assign someone monthly to drop it off—a small amount of work with a BIG payoff!
Feature photo: courtesy of Waste-Not Recycling, Johnstown, Colo.