Western Resources Group

10/09/2026

Come to the Brule Community Hall, Monday October 12th, 6:00 for a presentation from Jenn Burnside from Western Resources Group and a light meal. Jenn will give updates on the recycling process and answer questions. To top off the evening the Brule Lions will be hosting BINGO.
Try to top that on a Monday evening…food, education and BINGO! Hope to see you at the hall!

10/09/2026

🚫 Please Do Not Place Sh***un Shells in Recycling Bins 🚫

As a reminder with hunting seasons starting, trap leagues going and target practice happening, shot gun shells are NOT recyclable.

While some sh***un shells may appear to be plastic, they are actually made from a combination of materials, including metal components and primers, which prevent them from being processed with recyclable plastics. In addition, spent shells can contain gunpowder residue that creates a potential fire hazard during collection, sorting, and processing.

For the safety of our employees and the integrity of the recycling process, please dispose of sh***un shells through appropriate waste channels rather than placing them in recycling bins.

Thank you for helping us keep our facility safe and ensuring that recyclable materials remain clean and marketable. If you have questions about what can and cannot be recycled, feel free to contact us—we're always happy to help!

09/24/2026

Our compactor truck is at the shop and will not be able to pick up tomorrow- Friday September 25,2026. We apologize for any inconvenience. Please call our office if you have any questions.

09/24/2026

📦 Want to save 💲money 💵 on your residential trash service? Start by recycling your cardboard!

Cardboard boxes can quickly fill your trash container—especially when they aren’t flattened. By keeping cardboard out of your household trash, you may be able to switch to a smaller trash container or reduce how often your trash is picked up, potentially saving money on your monthly bill.

Simply break down your clean, dry cardboard and take it to one of the cardboard recycling bins located around town.
Recycling cardboard:
♻️ Saves valuable landfill space
♻️ Conserves natural resources
♻️ Leaves more room in your trash container
♻️ Helps keep our community clean
♻️ Could help lower your household trash costs

Please remove all trash, Styrofoam, plastic packaging and other materials before recycling your cardboard.

A quick trip to the recycling bin can make a big difference—for the environment and your wallet!

Questions? Contact Western Resources Group at 308-284-7353.

09/21/2026

An important message about recycling in our state.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19ecSZSwGs/

Nebraska’s recycling rate ranks near the bottom nationally, but state recycling leaders say the numbers don’t fully reflect the challenges of providing service

09/17/2026

♻️ RECYCLING MYTH: “If it has the recycling symbol, WRG can recycle it.”

Unfortunately, that little triangle doesn't automatically mean something is recyclable everywhere.

The recycling symbol can tell you something about the type of plastic or material, but it doesn't tell you whether your local recycling facility has the equipment, market or end user needed to recycle it.

That's why recycling rules can vary from community to community.

At WRG, we accept specific materials because we have established ways to process and market them.

When in doubt, check our accepted materials list before putting something in your recycling bin.

♻️ The recycling symbol is information—not a guarantee.

09/15/2026

♻️ WHERE DOES IT GO?

Part 3: Grain Bags — From Farm to Factory & Back Again

What happens to those BIG grain bags after they leave a recycling facility?

They don't necessarily have to become trash! Currently WRG ships them to Arkansas for recycling.

When collected for recycling, grain bags can be processed into plastic material that is used to manufacture new products—including new grain bags and trash bags.

That's pretty incredible when you think about it:

🌾 Grain bag
⬇️
🚛 Collected & shipped
⬇️
🏭 Processed
⬇️
🔵 Plastic material/pellets
⬇️
🛍️ New plastic products
⬇️
🌾 Potentially another grain bag!

📢 A QUICK WRG UPDATE

We are not currently accepting grain bags at WRG.

However, we know agricultural plastics are an important issue for our community, and we may bring grain bag collection back in the future if the right recycling opportunities and end markets are available.

We'll let you know if that changes!

🤯 DID YOU KNOW?

Agricultural plastics can be particularly challenging to recycle because they're large, lightweight and can contain dirt or other contaminants.

That's why proper preparation matters.

The cleaner the material is when it enters the recycling process, the more useful it can be for the next step in its journey.

So while we aren't currently collecting grain bags, we're keeping an eye on opportunities to give this material another life.

From the farm… back to the farm. ♻️🌾

09/10/2026

♻️ BEHIND THE BALE

Ever wondered what a bale of recycling looks like before it leaves WRG?

Once materials have been sorted, they are compressed in our baler into large, dense bales.

Those bales are then loaded onto trucks and shipped to processors and manufacturers around the country.

And remember our “Where Does It Go?” series?

👉 This is where that journey begins!

That bale isn't garbage.

It's raw material waiting to be turned into something new.

Stay tuned as we continue following the journey of your recycling! 🚛♻️

09/08/2026

♻️ WHERE DOES IT GO?

Part 2: Plastic's Second Life

Plastic recycling doesn't necessarily mean your old container becomes the same type of container again.

Some of the plastics processed at WRG are shipped to Omaha , where certain hard-to-recycle plastics can be transformed into composite plastic lumber.

That material can be used for things like decking, benches, landscaping products and other durable items.

Other plastics we ship go to plastic manufacturers where the material is:

🧹 Cleaned
⚙️ Processed
🔨 Shredded or ground
🔥 Melted
🔵 Pelletized

Those tiny plastic pellets become the raw material manufacturers use to make new plastic products and packaging.

🤯 DID YOU KNOW?

Plastic doesn't simply "disappear" when it gets recycled—it changes form.

A pile of discarded plastic can eventually become tiny, uniform pellets that manufacturers use as raw material for new products.

And some hard-to-recycle plastics can have a very different second life—becoming durable products like composite lumber instead of going to the landfill.

So when you recycle that plastic, you're not just keeping it out of the landfill.

You're giving it another job. ♻️