Best Ways to Recycle, Reduce, Reuse in Missoula for Earth Day

Earth Day in Missoula, 2024 may be extra fun this year because Earth Day activities will be scheduled for the days leading up to the official day, and even spread out across a whole week in some cases. Here are a few opportunities to celebrate coming up in April:

Earth Day Celebration at the MUD or Missoula Urban Demonstration Project on April 21 from 12 pm - 3 pm
2024 Clark Fork River Cleanup - Sunday, April 21 at Caras Park from 9:30 am - 1:00 pm hosted by the Clark Fork Coalition
All Under One Roof Earth Week" at the Missoula Public Library
International Wildlife Film Festival April 20-25, and WildWalk Parade, April 20

In addition to these activities, there are incredible ways Missoulians can recycle, reduce, or reuse at any time of the year.

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Recycling in Missoula

Grizzly Disposal and Recycling

The local disposal and recycling company with the pink cans for cancer awareness and the bear-proof bins, Grizzly Disposal and Recycling offers one time, weekly, bi-weekly and monthly cardboard recycling for business and commercial properties in the Missoula area.

A&T Auto Recycling

For vehicles that are beyond resale, A & T Auto Recycling offers auto recycling but also sells used auto parts.

Missoula Recycling Center

Self-service, free recycling is available 24/7 at their location on West Broadway, but Republic Services also has options for residential and commercial recycling.

Pacific Recycling

The steel and recycling company prides itself on its sustainability. "We even sell our scrap metal back to US steel mills and in turn buy back those products for future use and sales– reducing our impact and keeping those products within America. Plus– we’re 100% employee owned."

Garden City Recycling

Garden City Recycling offers curbside pickup of items like cardboard, plastics, cans, junk mail, and other paper products and has plans available for both residential and businesses.

eMontana - Computer Recycling

Their recycling includes all matters of e-waste, which they define on their website, but they ask consumers to call them about medical, telecom or industrial electronics equipment.

Recycling Works

One of the hardest things to recycle in Montana is glass, but thankfully Recycling Works takes glass (and is the only recycling program in western Montana to do so, according to their website). Bonus, they're a "major compost collector," too.

Credit: Mountain Line via Facebook

Reducing in Missoula

Climate Smart Missoula

This non-profit organization has been working since 2015 to "reduce our carbon footprint and build a resilient Missoula" but really came about after a series of summits convened by the Mayor and the City of Missoula. Check out their website for volunteer opportunities at some of your favorite Missoula events. They are also a partner in making the River City Roots Festival as green as possible.

Missoula in Motion

Missoula in Motion is a program from the City of Missoula focused on sustainable transportation and has great resources for commuters and your everyday Missoulians. The Way to Go! Missoula (WTG!M) tool helps people to find routes and takes advantage of gamification with achievement badges and commute statistics, too. They also have specific resources depending on how you travel (walk, bike, transit, carpool, vanpool, and telecommute).

Mountain Line

Probably the easiest way to do your part for the environment in Missoula is to ride the Mountain Line, Missoula's mass transit system. Not only is there a zero-fare system, meaning you don't have to pay, but 40 percent of Moutain Line buses are electric.

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Reusing in Missoula

Composting

If you're not sure you want to take on the challenge of composting or don't have the space to do it, you can subscribe to local organizations that will help you with composting. Try Missoula Compost, Soil Cycle Missoula, or Garden City Compost.

Construction and Home Improvement Materials

Home ReSource in Missoula has been around for a little over 20 years and started small but has grown into a significant resource in Missoula for helping keep reusable household materials out of the landfill. They even partnered with the City of Missoula to create a Deconstruction Guide that furthers the goal of keeping materials out of the landfill, and the guide includes other partners like Heritage Timber, Montana Deconstruction Servies, and Waste Less Works.

Upcycled - Missoula

Art created from found materials is not only helpful to the environment but oftentimes is incredibly creative. The Upcycled gift shop on Higgins features clothes, jewelry, wallets, coasters and other upcycled items that tickle the imagination.

SOS Fair - Winter Gear Swap

Find a pair of skis you're not using? Hold on to them until the fall. Held for the first time in 1968, skiers have been swapping gear for over 50 years, helping to make skiing a more sustainable sport in Missoula, and helping skiers keep costs down when buying new gear.

Free Cycles Missoula

This community bike shop not only spruces up unused bicycles and sells them at affordable prices, but they also have an open shop where you can fix your bike with their tools and guidance. Not to mention, free bikes for kids 10 and under. Score.

Youer

Their slogan really says it all: "We make clothes that are unlike any other, for people that are unlike any other, in a way that is unlike any other." A sustainable fashion company, Youer's fabrics are made from "recycled alternatives."