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How it works
Recycling with us is simple with these three easy steps.
Step 1
Sign up for bi-weekly curbside recycling pick-up
Step 2
We drop off a 64-gallon recycling bin curbside at your home. Fill your bin up with recyclables;
no need to sort!
Step 3
We swap your recycling bin with an empty one, curbside, on your scheduled pick-up day.
Curbside Recycling Plan
Services
What Can I Recycle?
Glass bottles, mixed paper, clear #1 & translucent #2 plastic bottles & jars, aluminum cans, tin cans, and cardboard can all be recycled in your 64-gallon bin.
Learn more about each material below!
Glass
Glass Bottles & Jars
We are excited to be the only resource that can recycle glass in the Flathead Valley! We crush and grind glass bottles into a fine sand that has many uses.
*Clean and empty glass bottles and jars only. No mirrors, light bulbs, windows, decorative, or other large pieces of glass.
Paper
Mixed Paper
Copy paper, paperboard, paper grocery bags, junk mail, newspaper, paper egg cartons; we take it all!
*Please no shredded paper, or heavily waxed paper (think coffee cups or paper orange juice cartons)
Plastic
#1 & #2 Plastics Only
Recycling plastic in the Flathead Valley is more limited. Plastic must be empty, clean, lid or cap removed, CLEAR #1 and translucent #2 bottles and jugs. To determine the number (type) of plastic look for a triangle with a number in the middle stamped near the top or bottom of the bottle.
^Great examples are water bottles, clear soda bottles, milk jugs, and clean food jars (think peanut butter).
*Unfortunately, we cannot recycle plastics #3 or higher at this time, colored plastics, plastic grocery bags, or plastic clamshells regardless of plastic type (think Costco berries) because our partners do not accept them.
Aluminum & Tin
Aluminum Cans & Tin Cans
Aluminum cans are accepted in all shapes and sizes. As long as they are empty and clean, we can accept soda, beer, sparkling water, juice, or any other can as long as it's aluminum!
Additionally, we can recycle tin cans if they are clean. Most soup cans are tin!
*We currently cannot accept other metals, for example but not limited to, steel, brass, or copper.
Cardboard Recycling
Corrugated Cardboard
Cardboard recycling is easy! There is only a few rules to help our team out. Cardboard must be flattened and clean (free from food residue). If the box is over four feet long cutting it into smaller pieces helps our team tremendously!
*Greasy pizza boxes cannot be recycled.
ABOUT BLACK BEAR RECYCLING
We're local; we live here! Black Bear Recycling is dedicated to providing convenient curbside recycling services at an affordable rate. Our mission is to promote sustainability in the Flathead Valley by collecting recyclables to keep them out of our landfill.
Current Service Area
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Kalispell
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Evergreen
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Creston
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Somers
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Bigfork
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Helena Flats
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Columbia Falls
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Whitefish
We pride ourselves on being a local, customer-oriented business with a commitment to fair and transparent practices. Join us in our efforts to keep Montana clean and green.
FAQ's
Can I drop off my recycling?
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No, we currently do not have a public drop off option.
Is the price per month or per pick up?
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Pricing is per month. We will also never raise your price after signing up. That is a part of our price lock promise.
Where do my recyclables end up?
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Glass: We process glass ourselves, grinding bottles and jars into sand.
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Metals: Aluminum and tin are recycled with Pacific Steel and Recycling.
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Paper, Cardboard, Plastics: Are recycled with Valley Recycling.