Update 11/19/2022

Wow, has it been a long time since this thread was updated. Well, there has been a lot going on the last couple of years as we all know. JeffCo 4-H has held on through the shutdowns and the program has changed up a bit but we continue on!

Here's the latest scoop:

JeffCo 4-H just sent 3,000 pounds of twine to the recycler! That is 3,000 pounds of plastic not getting tangled in wildlife or sitting in a landfill. Kudos to our community for your continued support and making this happen! A great big THANK YOU goes out to SANGER RANCH for hosting the twine collection bins, and Boulder County Open Space and Cheyenne Mountain Zoo who donated their twine to the 4-H Livestock program. Donations covered transport cost and the recycler paid the program $.17 per pound for a total of $510.

The program is going through some changes. My 4-H'er who started the program has aged out and is in college but we hope to stay somewhat involved. Waste-Not is no longer paying the kids for their twine collection, however, the person running the twine recycling program is resilient and is trying to grow the program nationwide. A recycler has been found in MN who makes lawn furniture and other goods out of the twine. A non-profit has been set up to help cover the cost of fuel/transport of the twine and grants are currently being investigated. If you or someone else or a business is interested in helping with this project, or if you would like to participate in a future twine tote packing day (it takes a lot of work to clean & sort!) please PM and I will put you in contact with the right people.

Thank you all so much for your support of this program!









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Update 12/9/2020

We took the first load of twine to the recycler in Johnstown on Monday. There were 6 super sacks (2 large, 4 small) that weighed in total 1,607 pounds. That's 1,607 pounds of plastic twine NOT in a landfill or endangering wildlife! The program seems to be well received with a lot of positive feedback from our host locations. One site has twine coming in from Elizabeth and Falcon. Attached are a couple of photos, one of our load, another of the amount of twine already sitting at the recycler (in supersacks).

4-H and FFA groups receive a small price per pound income from the twine. Every little bit helps, especially in such a tough year for fundraising (for everyone). A big thanks to all supporting the efforts. I know the kids are extremely grateful!



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Update 7/26/2020

I thought you all would like to see how much twine we have collected so far, which is not even all of it! We picked up two totes of twine from the Denver Zoo. In addition to what is in the photo, JL&B Feed has 4 barrels full of twine and our cattle rancher has a full tote/cage. After this picture was taken, another 4-H'er dropped off their collection which filled the first tote/cage and about 1/3 of the tote/cage behind it.

We will plan a day to haul the twine up to Johnstown sometime after our "Fair" the first week of August. Thank you all for your help and support getting this recycling program going!



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4/23/2020

Hey Pinecammers!

We just picked up the first barrel full of twine from Big R Conifer!

Thank you to all who are recycling.

We are also so grateful for our local businesses willing to host a collection bin.

I have a few more locations ready to accept clean baling twine and one coming soon:

Bailey Depot Feed
1 Delwood Dr.
Bailey, CO 80421
720-382-4182


Pine Country Feed
13581 S. Glen Dr.
Pine, CO 80470
303-838-5186


JL&B Feed
7040 Indiana St.
Arvada, CO 80007
303-422-2158

Coming soon, Cody's place in Morrison. Just as soon as we have an essential trip 'down the hill' we will bring a barrel to put by the gate.

Thanks so much.

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Did you know that all that plastic twine is 100% recyclable!!

Jefferson County 4-H Livestock Council is working with Twinerecycling.com and Waste Not Recycling to collect clean plastic baling twine as a fundraiser for their club.

Please no sisal (it is biodegradable) and no net twine.

Some hay is ok - this will be cleaned by the youth. No trash, needles or other agricultural plastics, please.

There are currently no twine recycling collection sites located in Jefferson County. The 4-H youth are working to change that. They are just getting started with this project and hope to locate local businesses (veterinarians, stables, small farmers, hobby farmers, feed stores, etc.) willing to host a collection bin. The youth would maintain the bins and collect the twine regularly. The twine would then be taken to a central location, sorted and cleaned by the youth and finally delivered to Johnstown, CO where the pelletizer is located. This machine turns the twine into pellets than can be turned into other plastic products.

If you are interested in hosting a bin, are willing to let the youth put up a poster about the program, or have baling twine you wish to have recycled, please respond to this post via PM. Currently, I will be housing the twine at my house (Richmond Hill/285) until we find a more permanent solution. I just wanted to get the word out that there is a solution to all that twine we've been throwing away! I am so excited about this program!

For more information about the program please visit Twinerecycling.com.

Thank-you.

I was curious about this and, for some reason the URL doesn't work for me. Here's a link that should work.

So not having livestock, I was curious how much baling twine there could be in our area. From the website and the full bins shown there, I can see quite a lot.

I think it would be just as easy to collect this twine as you cut it off a bale of hay or straw and save it somewhere to donate to lifeizgood.

I hope your recycle effort is successful for many years, lifeizgood.

From the website: "In 2018 over 77,000 pounds of the polypropylene twine was collected, sorted and transported to Waste-Not Recycling in Johnstown."

Speaking with the rep today, around 100,000 pounds of twine have been recycled thus far in 2019 and youth groups are currently picking through an approximate 80,000 pound pile of stockpiled twine.

It is estimated that here in CO 10,000,000 pounds of twine could be recycled.

That's a lot of plastic!

THANK YOU to all who have already reached out about the program. Several of the Jeffco 4-H Livestock members are currently working on convenient drop sites but this process does take time. We should have more info after the busyness of the holidays are over. Until then, save up the twine and PM us to figure out how to get your twine from there to here.

Additionally, the kids use funds earned/donated to pay for belt buckle and jacket awards.

Attached is a new pict just sent to us: twine vs. wildlife. Not only is the twine an issue for wildlife, the landfill operators don't like it either because it tangles up in their heavy equipment. Let's get this stuff recycled!

This is an interesting environmental issue.

Going back to 2013 on a trip to the Tetons, we went over Teton Pass into Victor, Idaho, and found this Osprey Recycling Center!

I'm not sure how the electric power to the house stays connected without shorting!

We go there to see the nest every time we are over Teton Pass.

I can see how it might become an unintended hazard!

So glad you are doing this recycle program!!
Every rural community should have one.

I re-purpose mine, it is slow to decompose so it is very valuable around the property and in the garden. It's my preferred twine for tying down tarps. But I only use about 4 bales of straw per year so rarely have much excess.

But when I replace strands I will now collect it until a recycling place it formed up here.

Thank you!

Very cool!

Thank you for sharing the photos, BGR. That is an amazing(ly dangerous) nest. We saw one similar up in Kremmling recently and I had to wonder how many birds had been tangled in that mess.

Our own chickens have gotten the little threads that eventually come apart off the twine wrapped around their feet. We try to reuse what we can but we go through a lot of hay so there is only so much one can do with it. We have even braided it into 'scrubbies' for buckets.

We have many members in our county very excited about this program, too, and are on the move willing to help. For now, twine will be at my house. I am contemplating a once a month or so meet up in Conifer until we can get collection sites in place. There is only one pelletizer in the state and it was quite expensive so I imagine for now there will be only one recycling center and many collection sites feeding into it. I met with the Waste Not Recycling manager today and he is excited to support this program as well, which they hope will turn into an industry here in CO converting the pellets into other usable plastic items.

I tried to get some totes/bins today but they were out. We are on a waiting list. More info to come!

That's a great idea. Thanks.

I've got a bunch! Just looking at it yesterday wondering what to do with it. I'll pm you.

UPDATE:

BigR in Conifer is ready to accept baling twine!!
The manager will keep the bin out in the back of the store. Just tell an employee you are dropping off twine and someone will take it to the bin.

Thanks so much!