Our Viewpoint

On Saturday, more than two tons of e-waste was gathered by the county for the annual recycling event. Shelly Mitchell and her crew from Oreo's Refining brought two trailers to fill with unwanted televisions, computers and other electronics.

Mitchell told us how much work she puts into keep items out of the landfill. She strips down each piece of equipment by hand, even stripping much of the wires, to get down to the basics and sort out each nut and bolt. People were bringing old heaters, weed eaters, cellphones.

It's amazing how much we as a society can gather in trash. We've seen it as a community as the county looks for alternatives to the costly recycling programs. Mitchell doesn't make much money from her efforts, but her commitment to making sure she does what she can to prevent more items from ending up in the landfill is admirable.

Mitchell said people always ask her why they have to pay to recycle. She charges a small fee to come pick up items from residents, just as she has a contract with the county to provide the e-waste recycling. She tells people that if it ends up in the landfill, they end up paying for it eventually in how it affects their environment.

Last week at a restaurant in Missoula, we noticed they had switched to paper straws. It's a small step. But just as you get checkups for your children or take your pets to the vet, any small step we can take to make the world a better place is worth it. We hope that Mitchell and Oreo's Refining continue with their part.