Beginning January 17th, the Siskiyou Opportunity Center in Mount Shasta will offer newspaper recycling.

Newspaper will be taken at the recycling center during normal hours of Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. SOC is located at 1516 South Mount Shasta Blvd.

The program is not part of the city's Blue Bag program and citizens are asked not to place newspaper in the Blue Bags.

Supervisor Victor Martin said the center will take dry newspaper and inserts only that have been either tied in bundles or bagged.

Among the paper items NOT accepted are the following:

-- Magazines;

-- Catalogues;

-- Telephone books; and

-- Computer paper.

“Newspapers should not be put in the Blue Bag recycling bags,” Martin said. “The paper gets contaminated with glass that clogs the baler and is a safety hazard for our workers.”

Martin noted that newspaper has no recycling redemption value like glass.

Martin encourages citizens to bring in newspaper saying it saves trees and space in the landfill.

“We're very happy to be able to serve the community by providing this service,” Martin said.

The baler was purchased and installed with a $22,000 grant from the Ford Family Foundation.

According to the Newspaper Association of America, over 73 percent of all old newspapers in the United States were recovered and recycled in 2003, representing more than 9 million tons of old newspapers out of a total supply of more than 13 million tons.

The Solid Waste Authority says one ton of recycled paper uses 64 percent less energy, 50 percent less water, 74 percent less air pollution, saves 17 trees and creates five times more jobs than one ton of paper products from virgin wood pulp.

For more information, call the Siskiyou Opportunity Center at 926-4698.