The Belgrade Troop has been earning income by recycling newspapers for more than 35 years. Newspapers are the primary source of income for the Troop. The amount of money the Troop receives varies from about $1000 to $3000 dollars per year. Bailing occurs at the Belgrade Transfer Station where three to four scouts, each with one parent, load papers into the baler. Generally this is every other Saturday morning (Girl Scouts bale on alternate weekends). The Belgrade Transfer Station is located on the Dunn Road, off the West Road. Baling schedules are set twice a year. Each Scout/Parent team can expect to bail newspapers 3-4 times over the 6 month period. The Committee Secretary requests the scout/parent to indicate weekends during that 6 months that they are not available and returns the list ASAP so that the Secretary can create the schedule. The final schedule is distributed within 2-3 weeks. After scheduling is complete, if you find that it impossible to make a particular weekend, you must find someone to trade weekends with. If you inadvertently miss a weekend, please attend the following scheduled weekend to try to get the papers caught up. The Committee has agreed that the best reminder system is for the boys/families scheduled on a particular weekend to call one another the day before to remind one another of the schedule.
Scouts arrive at 7 AM and work until no later than 9 AM. The baling process consists of placing a layer of half-opened papers (about ten pages thick in all areas) at the bottom of the baler, then filling the baler with newspapers (such that they overlap in a manner that helps the bale hold together), building the bale evenly in height during the process. When the newspapers reach the top of the bin, the recycling attendants compress the pile allowing more papers to be added. When the attendants decide the bale is ready, we top it off with a layer of half-opened papers similar to the layer on the bottom. The attendants will compress the bale for the last time, install the wires then turn it out onto a palette. We usually only build one or two bales and are done by 8:30 AM. New scout families will be teamed with experienced scout families for their first scheduled block of time. If by 7:15, only one scout and one parent show up, the attendants will not allow the baler to be used. They need to use it from 9 AM until the facility closes and can’t risk it being only partially full at 9AM.
General notes:
The transfer station staff in charge of the bailing operation. They are very helpful and very concerned about safety. Listen to them and follow their instructions.
- Arrive on time when scheduled and plan to stay until 9 AM.
- Dry storage for the apple crates is an issue so it is important to stay caught up with bailing.
- Wear old clothes.
- Be aware that the apple crates are old and made of wood; splinters and scratches are going to happen so be careful.
- Wear gloves; if you choose not to wear glove —do not touch your face or eat any food until your hands are clean; newsprint ink has toxic elements in it.
- Clean and treat all cuts and scratches as soon as possible.
- Remain in the vicinity of the crates and bailer.
- Stand clear of staff moving the crates with the hand truck.
- Stand clear of the bailer when it is being ‘run down’ and when bales are being removed.
- Take care to keep papers that have fallen to the ground to a minimum as they become slippery underfoot creating a safety concern.
- Only adults are allowed to put the newspapers in the bailer.
