Houston County recycling leader recycled

La Crosse Tribune, Jan 19, 2004 by McAlpine, Linda

HOUSTON, Minn. - Nick Nichols not only loves the job he is about to lose, he lives it.

Nichols was notified Dec. 23 by Houston County that after 14 years as recycling coordinator, his position is being cut as of Feb. 1.

"This wasn't something that I just collected a paycheck for," Nichols said from the small office, that serves as his workday home at the Houston County recycling Center in Houston.

"I like what I do, and it has a certain amount of socially redeeming value to it in making the world a little better," he said. "That's how I gauge the importance of my work, if I can feel that I'm making a difference somewhere."

"As an environmentalist, recycling is something I truly believe in," he added. "It's part of taking responsibility for yourself and what you do."

Even the La Crosse home he shares with his wife and their four children reflects this environmentalist ethic, as he recently finished installing a 10-panel solar-electric system.

"I have plans for a huge garden next year," he said. "We're big into sustainability and alternative energy as part of the responsibility of taking care of ourselves and reducing our footprint on the planet."

During his tenure, Nichols has even managed to recycle the recyclables.

"I'm always thinking," he said with a laugh.

When Nichols noticed, for example, a lot of bicycles showing up in dumpsters, he decided to find a way to use them.

"I talked to a number of other people in the community about the idea. In 1998, we created a school-to-work program called Classcycles Bikes," he said.

"We received some state funding for it, and it became very successful. It taught kids how to repair bikes, run a retail store and interact with customers," he said of the shop, which closed in 2003 because of a slow economy.

Nichols is behind the Rebart Art Show, now in its fourth year, that awards cash prizes for art made of recycled bicycle parts.

"It's been amazing to see what people have come up with," he said, recalling that past entries have included a discarded satellite dish as a base for a fountain which featured three bicycles as its centerpiece and a model of a John Deere tractor, made totally of old bike parts.

Half of one wall in Nichol's office is covered with framed certificates and plaques, awarded for the job the recycling center has done through the years.

"In 1992, we were nationally recognized for our recycling program, and we were named recycler of the year in 1996 by the state of Minnesota," he said.

He credits the people of Houston County for the success of the recycling program.

"A study done a few years back showed we had an 85 percent participation rate, one of the highest in the state," he said. "Our incidents of roadside dumping of things like washing machines, tires and televisions have almost disappeared."

"Part of that is having a system in place that is convenient and user friendly, but it's also the people," he said.

"I think it's natural for people here to be responsible, and we've just been able to lead them in this direction," he added.

Although Nichols said he isn't sure what direction his life will take now, there is one twist that could really put Houston on the map.

Nichols has written a 222-page murder mystery set in the town, "Shadowed Soul." He hopes to soon find a publisher for it. And one character is a recycling coordinator.

"I feel guilty throwing anything away," Nichols said with another laugh.

Recycling Jump

The tonnage of items recycled at the houston County Recycling Center totaled 570 tons in 1990, and was 2,000 tons in 2003, according to Nick Nichols, Houston County recycling coordinator