Newsletter

On behalf of the board of directors and staff at Cart’m, I wish to sincerely thank you for your outstanding support of our community’s award-winning recycling center.

Cart’m board members, staff and volunteers have worked for the past nine months to improve Cart’m’s site plan. I’d fondly call our proposals a “cover up”. Why? Because we want to erect at least two and maybe three buildings to house a new reuse/resale store as well as all of that stuff that is an eye sore and degrades so rapidly in the elements. The master plan is now undergoing review by the County and the City of Manzanita. We have asked for approval for the buildings (similar to but smaller than the present building), an additional traffic lane around the entire facility and more loading docks, all to help Cart’m meet the needs and expectations of the community.

An attractive recycling center? Why not?! You may have noticed some changes in the entrance area but you ain’t seen nuthin’ yet. This spring will prove to be one of the most beautiful at Cart’m. Thanks to the OSU Master Gardeners, the Nehalem Garden Club, Garden Buds, and Peter Walczak’s natural resources education group, many of the areas at Cart’m that were overgrown by berry vines will now be managed toward an attractive and integrated landscape.

Perhaps you’ve noticed that we no longer burn yard debris (or anything for that matter) at Cart’m. As part of our improvement plan, we have applied to the Oregon DEQ for funding to help us organize the yard debris program into a tidy and organized operation that will provide you with improved convenience and service. Yard debris and clean demolition debris (no paint, plywood or treated wood) is ground into wood chips that are used in composting mixes, directly as landscaping ground cover or sold to lumber mills as hog fuel.

Composition roofing and tar paper can now be separated and recycled into new asphalt road material. Clean sheetrock (drywall) is shipped to a business that grinds and combines this material in a mix with potting soil and other soil products. Window glass is separated and shipped for recycling in new road asphalt and new concrete. Although we can’t offer a cost savings for disposing of these materials, we do provide the opportunity to divert these materials from landfill. So please spread the word to people you know who are involved in demolishing or rebuilding homes that Cart’m facilitates recycling of asphalt roofing materials, tar paper, clean sheetrock (no paint) and window glass.

For over a year we have provided recycling of thin film plastics. “Thin film” generally means grocery bags, but can also include thin plastics that are easily stretched or punctured with a finger. (Cellophane is not one of these products).

For almost three years we’ve offered expanded recycling of plastic containers to include more than the conventional necked bottles. Basically everything with a number through can be recycled by Cart’m (with the exception of foam plastics). As always, containers for petroleum products (oil, lubricants, kerosene) and pesticides, regardless of cleanliness, cannot be included with our plastics recycling. I have seen examples of oil containers or pesticide containers that have been thoroughly cleaned by well-meaning customers. Unfortunately, if our buyers spot these containers in one of our bales, they will consider the entire bale contaminated, will not pay for it and will dump it. So please, as much as I hate to say it, put these types of containers in with trash.

Public support for recycling at Cart’m remains strong and has increased in several areas.

The combined effort of the conventional recycling (papers, plastics, glass) and the less conventional reuse/resale store has resulted in an estimated 60% recovery (or waste diversion) rate at Cart’m! Compared to a county average of about 25%, which also resembles the state wide average, we should be extremely proud of ourselves as a community. And based upon the additional materials we have recently begun to divert from the waste stream, we’re anticipating even stronger numbers over the coming year.

Over the past year Cart’m engaged in two deconstruction projects. We took apart a 40’ by 60’ pole building at the NKN high school and will rebuild it at Cart’m to house much of the material that is presently stored outside. The second, a three bedroom, 2 ½ bath cabin on the Wilson River, was removed as part of a wetland restoration project in Tillamook Bay. Both projects were successful, largely as a result of volunteer support.

Cart’m was created by volunteers and needs them to sustain and grow as a community model. There are plenty of exciting volunteer opportunities from drop-ins to long-term and we can work with your schedule. We want to create a safer, more efficient and more creative volunteer workplace. Also, did I mention fun?

Our new Volunteer Coordinator, Jan Hamilton, brings great new energy and skill to this area. Contact her via email at helpcartm@nehalemtel.net or by phone (503) 368-7764. Jan wants to meet your needs and listen to your suggestions. Better yet, write your interests and available times on the form on page four of this newsletter when you mail in your contribution. You can check the our Volunteer Section to see the current volunteer needs.

Fundraising during 2004 saw donations of over $4,500. Many thanks to all of you who took the time and cared to make those generous donations.

Cart’m fundraising proceeds are largely used to leverage grant funds for program and facility improvements. Early this year however, we encountered a costly breakdown of our one and only forklift.

This event might have cost Cart’m over $6,000, but thanks to the generosity of Hyster forklift company, the same company that donated this original forklift, they donated half the repair costs. Sadly, a significant portion of last year’s donations went toward the other half of repairs but, thanks to your support, Cart’m did not suffer much financial hardship and was able to easily rebound.

Grant support – We are waiting for word about two grant applications, one for reorganizing and upgrading the yard debris program and another for support for our new volunteer coordinator program. Awards, if forthcoming, will occur in January. The master plan update mentioned above will be a huge component of future applications for grant funds, hopefully on the scale of those that helped Cart’m get started in the first place.

Demonstrated community support is a key element in securing grant funds. Support is best demonstrated by cash donations, material donations, and donations of volunteer time. Cart’m has a strong history of all three. Please help us move into the future by maintaining or increasing your support. Use the enclosed form to renew your pledge or make your contribution.

Thank you again for your generous support. We look forward to serving you during 2006 for another successful year.

Yours truly,

Richard Felley,
Executive director

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