Author: Amy Hughes

Technology Clean-Up Deemed Very Successful

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On September 12, 2019, Keep Loup Basin Beautiful (KLBB) partnered with the Burwell Chamber of Commerce to host a Technology Clean-up Day for the KLBB area. Items accepted included computer towers, computer monitors (fee associated with CRT monitors), laptops, old stereos, printers (fee associated), copy machines (fee associated), fax machines, televisions (fee associated), cell phones, musical equipment, VCR’s, DVD players, networking equipment among much more.

The event was deemed a great success with 4,368 pounds of e-waste collected and kept out of the landfill. This number and amount of items required a double pickup by the collection company. The staff at KLBB would like to extend a great big THANK YOU to all of you who took advantage of this amazing opportunity!!! Our area should be extremely proud of how much e-waste that they kept from entering our environmental ecosystems. KLBB staff would also like to thank the volunteers that set aside time to come and help us sort and load the items. Without the help of volunteers many of the programs and events offered would not run smoothly or effectively!! You all make these events work and work well!!!

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Keep Loup Basin Beautiful (KLBB) and the Burwell Chamber of Commerce Work Together to Offer a Technology Clean-up Event

It is with great excitement that Keep Loup Basin Beautiful and the Burwell Chamber of Commerce announce the opportunity to rid your premises of old, broken, unwanted technology items. A Technology Clean-up event is scheduled for Thursday, September 12, 2019 from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. at the “Open Air” Beef Barn in the Garfield County Fairgrounds. Items can ONLY be dropped off during that time so please do so accordingly. Those who do not follow the time allotted will be documented.

Several items are offered for collection, some are free while others do possess a fee. Items such as computer towers, LCD (flat screen) computer monitors, cell phones, tablets, laptops, networking equipment, switches, servers, VCR’s, DVR’s, stereo equipment, musical equipment DO NOT have a fee associated with them while other items possess a FEE. The FEES are as follows: CRT computer monitor – $10/monitor; Large appliances (fridges, standalone copiers, dishwashers, AC units, Smartboards) – $25 each; Printers – $0.21/lb. If you plan on bringing an items that has a fee associated with it checks or cash can be paid to the Burwell Chamber of Commerce. We will be documenting who brings each item and if there is a fee associated with it for collection. It is suggested that if you are bringing a computer tower or a laptop for disposal that the hard drives be removed in case of any private information being present. It is also suggested that a factory reset be done on all cell phones and tablets, if possible, prior to disposal.

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Thoene Farm Service…Leaving a Lasting Impact on the Environment

Several area businesses utilize the recycle facilities in Burwell. One such business is Thoene Farm Service Inc., a business that has been providing agricultural equipment and services since 1983. Staff at Thoene’s provide customers within 150 miles with hay equipment, irrigation power units, feed wagons and tractors along with replacement parts and services. Major equipment lines that Thoene’s carry are McCormick and Vermeer and Cummins and Isuzu Power Units but they do carry parts from many other brands! Thoene Farm Service staff are happy to help any farm/ranch customer find and/or repair any piece of equipment they have. They pride themselves on excellent customer service and work very hard on making sure the customer has everything that they need to have their operation function easily!!

Many of the supplies that are delivered to Thoene Farm Service arrive in cardboard boxes surrounded in packing paper. When cardboard recycling started being offered, via semi-trailer, at the Loup Rivers Scenic Byway Interpretive Center during Nebraska’s Big Rodeo in 2014, Thoene’s decided this would be a perfect avenue to dispose of the clean cardboard and packing paper properly. Since July of 2014, the staff at Thoene Farm Service has taken collected cardboard to the recycle trailer roughly twice a month. Sometimes the length of time varies due to parts delivery orders. Sue Thoene, was and is integral in the recycling strategies at Thoene Farm Service as she is very passionate about the environment and reducing unnecessary items from entering the landfills. As a result of adding recycling cardboard to their protocol at Thoene Farm Service it has drastically reduced the amount of products that are placed in their dumpster. The dumpster is now no longer overflowing on garbage collection day, which is once a week, and rather has room to spare.

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Ink & Toner Cartridge Recycling Offered by Keep Loup Basin Beautiful (KLBB)

Keep Loup Basin Beautiful (KLBB) Project Coordinator, Amy Hughes, is happy to announce the addition of a NEW Ink and Toner Recycling Program. The new program offers persons and businesses who have printers and copiers an environmentally conscious way to dispose of old, used, unwanted ink and toner cartridges. Keeping unnecessary, recyclable, items out of our local landfills is a key component in preserving mother earth for future generations to enjoy and that is what KLBB is all about!!!

The new Ink and Toner Recycling Program does require participants to download the list of accepted cartridges from the KLBB website (https://keeploupbasinbeautiful.org/current-projects/toner-ink-cartridge-recycle-program/). Please note that NO “generic brands” are accepted BUT “name brand” are welcome. The list of accepted cartridges does change periodically so please check back for the newest updated list prior to dropping them off at the collection sight(s).

KLBB would also invite any individuals or businesses to participate in the program by being a collection sight. KLBB will happily provide a collection box at all drop off locations. For those who participate please drop off collected cartridges at the Loup Basin RC&D Office/Loup Rivers Scenic Byway (330 S Hwy 11, Burwell, NE 68823).

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Glass Recycling Ribbon Cutting – Valentine, NE

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The Open House and Ribbon Cutting for glass recycling is in the books. This marks the beginning. Glass is heavy and takes a lot of room. Now, in the Valentine area, we have systems in place to keep glass out of the dead end landfill. Instead we can move it forward to serve its next purpose.

NC RC&D announces NK Waste and Recycling of Valentine NE is accepting glass at their recycling center in Valentine. Along with the bins of paper and tin and other recyclables, there is now a container for glass.

“Glass recycling is available because we have found a market for the glass,” comments Neil Wescott of NK Waste & Recycling. “It has been quite a while since there has been anyone accepting glass. Learning about Ripple Glass opened this opportunity.

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Recycling Glass in Valentine!!!!!

NK Waste & Recycling in Valentine and NC RC&D announce the opening of glass recycling in Valentine. You are now able to take glass to the Recycling Center. There is a bin for it along with the other recycling bins.

There will be a grand opening with a ribbon cutting Oct 3rd at the Recycling Center. The open house will be from 2-3 with the ribbon cutting at 2:30. There will be prizes so bring your stocked up glass. Refreshments will be served. A representative from Ripple Glass will also be there.

Neil Wescott commented about bringing glass recycling to Northern Nebraska, “This is a good thing to offer for the community and it is great that Ripple Glass is being so innovative by collecting and processing glass.”

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Keep Loup Basin Beautiful (KLBB) Collecting Mascara Wands with Wands for Wildlife Program

Amy Hughes, Keep Loup Basin Beautiful (KLBB), Project Coordinator, is excited to announce the addition of a new program and partnership. KLBB is proud to announce that they are working with the Appalachian Wildlife Refuge, a non-profit entity, and have set up a drop off/collection site for the Wands for Wildlife Program. To be accepted wands must be cleaned using hot soapy water and be unbroken. This program fits perfectly into KLBB’s vision of keeping unnecessary items out of the landfills and reusing them to their full potential!! In addition, the program is meeting another important piece in our environment and that is the conservation of our wildlife through good practices such as reuse and recycle via animal rehab.

The Wands for Wildlife Program was initiated from a simple Facebook post on Appalachian Wild Co-founder, Savannah Trantham, personal page in 2017. Tranthum’s post for mascara wands went viral and lead to the creation of Wands for Wildlife. Today wands are being shared with other rehab facilities and home-based rehabilitators across the nation.

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Clothing Closet Serves Over 700 Family Members

Even though the Clothing Closet in Burwell was not open in February of 2017, due to a blizzard, it still managed to serve 768 family members from an average of six surrounding counties during the 2017 year. The counties commonly served are: Garfield, Loup, Valley, Wheeler, Holt, Custer and various other counties. Visitors from three states also shopped at the Clothing Closet. Over 17,500 pounds of clothing was donated to the Clothing Closet and approximately 8,448 pounds went home with shoppers. Of course, all of this does not happen without some faithful volunteers. One hundred and one volunteers donated 303 hours of service to make the Clothing Closet accessible to families.

The Clothing Closet could not function without the dedicated service from the volunteers. The First Christian Church provides the facilities for the Clothing Closet and their graciousness is appreciated by all of the volunteers and those who visit the Clothing Closet.

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Ord Viaero Wireless Sponsors Clothing Drive—Donations to Burwell Clothing Closet

Ord Viaero Wireless sponsored a highly successful winter clothing drive in the Ord area to help supply clothes to the Clothing Closet located in Burwell, Nebraska. Daniela Deaver, store manager at Ord Viaero Wireless, implemented the clothing drive. The response to the drive was very positive and Viaero Wireless donated over 1000 pounds of clothing to the Clothing Closet in Burwell. Thank you to all who donated to this drive.

Because there was such a positive response to the clothing drive, Viaero Wireless is still accepting donations. These donations will then be delivered to the Clothing Closet in Burwell.   Donations of clothing may be made at Viaero Wireless, 1315 N. St., Ord, NE. during business hours. If you have any questions, call the store at 308-750-9700. For more information about the Clothing Closet in Burwell, contact Kathy at 308-214-0798.

Viaero Wireless Winter Clothing Drive

Pictured are Kathleen Deaver and Cailin Benda delivering clothes to the Clothing Closet in Burwell.

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Keep Loup Basin Beautiful Makes Presentation to Burwell TeamMates Chapter

Amy Hughes, Keep Loup Basin Beautiful (KLBB) Project Coordinator, was invited to present to the Burwell Chapter of the TeamMates Mentoring Program on October 18, 2017 at the morning Mentor Huddle. Hughes was excited to share what KLBB stands for, what it promotes, and give ideas to those in attendance.

Mrs. Hughes began by introducing herself and explaining the, who, what, when, where and why’s of proper recycling practices. Hughes, who focuses much of her energy on education and reuse strategies, shared four hands on reuse projects and spoke on two additional ways mentors can engage mentees in doing beautiful things for their environment.

Hughes showed attendees how to reuse toilet paper and paper towel rolls and an old picture frame to create a brand new, unique piece of wall art. The creation of refrigerator magnets and table coasters out of old, unwanted CD/DVD’s was discussed and shown by Hughes. Mrs. Hughes provided tools on how to make paper beads out of old newspapers, magazines, etc. and explained the process. Even the repurposing of K-cups from Keurig coffee makers was shown and discussed by Hughes.

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