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Shane Pippin

Daily News

Boy Scout Troop 544 will facilitate a one-day curbside recycling event for Middlesboro residents on April 20 — the Saturday just before Earth Day.

Scouts are encouraging recycling by having all Middlesboro residents “Kick it to the Curb,” placing their paper, glass, aluminum and plastic in a single bag provided to them. The bag should then be placed at the curb for scouts to come by and pick up and transport to the recycling center for processing.

Scouts say they are excited about the timing of this event in relation to Earth Day, a worldwide event held annually on April 22. Earth Day’s genesis goes back to the passion of politician and conservationist Gaylord Nelson, with an official beginning in 1970. Today, people are more informed of the earth’s environmental needs.

“Middlesboro is a stunning community nestled in the legendary Cumberland Gap, a city in the shadows of a National Park,” said Dirk Wiley, scout leader and chief ranger at Cumberland Gap National Park.

He said scouts hope to help Middlesboro keep pace with many around the world working to preserve the beauty of nature.

Anyone with cardboard, paper, glass, aluminum or plastic can sign up for the service, which helps promote recycling and teaches and allows scouts to perform community service.

Scouts want Middlesboro residents to know about this free day of curbside pickup, adding they are hoping for a great response. Scouts will use their personal vehicles for the project if they can meet pickup demand.

“The sign up form is just four lines to tell us your name, your address, your phone or e-mail, and how many bags you think you’ll need,” Wiley said. “The boys and their parents will organize the pickup schedule between 9 a.m. and noon. The city of Middlesboro has offered to help with trucks and personnel, if needed, and the Bell County Recycling Center is putting on extra staff to help manage the extra material.”

“This event provides a chance for scouts to learn citizenship and demonstrate leadership,” said Wiley, also hoping positive attention will come to the recycling center and the scouts’ leadership role in stewarding the environment.

“In addition to teaching the scouts and getting more material into the recycling stream, the project will also help show the feasibility of a city-wide recycling program. With the landfill getting more expensive, and more people creating more trash, recycling will eventually be a part of everyone’s future,” said Wiley.

“It’s true that many towns today provide curbside recycling as part of their regular trash pick up. For this one Saturday morning, all anyone has to do is put their recyclable stuff in a bag, put the bag at the curb, and then forget about it. We couldn’t make it any simpler,” said Wiley.

Wiley again encouraged residents to contact scouts and make them aware of plans to participate.

For pickup or more information, visit www.curbkick.zxq.net or use their Facebook page Middlesboro-Curbside-Recycling-Day. You can also email curbkick@gmail.com. Information will also be placed at the Recycling Center and at city hall.

“Why wouldn’t you do it?” asked Wiley. “It’s Boy Scouts and Earth Day and recycling and community service…. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that?”

Reach Shane Pippin at 606-248-1010 ext 1010, mpippin@civitasmedia.com