Visitors to the Park County Fair will see many sights — animals, carnival rides and top-notch entertainment — but recycling receptacles are noticeably absent.Instead, attendees are faced with two options: hauling their recyclables out with them or taking the easier approach and just tossing them in the trash.The fair is one of Park County's largest annual events. According to Fair Manager Steve Scott, more than 35,000 people go through the gates each year — and that's not counting concessionaires, entertainers, carnival workers, young fair participants and their parents and others who take part in various events, such as pig wrestling and the demolition derby. Picture a behemoth pile of 35,000 plastic bottles and aluminum cans headed to the soon-to-close Powell landfill. It's not a pretty picture. But if each person through the fair gates consumes just one bottled drink over the course of the week, it's an unfortunate reality. In this day and age, with the heightened conscience about the planet's health — not to mention the ever-looming landfill issues faced in Park County — residents need to demand more.Recycling simply is no longer an option, but a duty. Many things in Park County harken back to the good old days — including the old-fashioned county fair — but unnecessarily piling refuse in the landfill is inexcusable.It's high time for the entire county — municipalities, post offices, hospitals, businesses and residents — to look at ways to increase recycling accessibility.

Visitors to the Park County Fair will see many sights — animals, carnival rides and top-notch entertainment — but recycling receptacles are noticeably absent.

Instead, attendees are faced with two options: hauling their recyclables out with them or taking the easier approach and just tossing them in the trash.

The fair is one of Park County's largest annual events. According to Fair Manager Steve Scott, more than 35,000 people go through the gates each year — and that's not counting concessionaires, entertainers, carnival workers, young fair participants and their parents and others who take part in various events, such as pig wrestling and the demolition derby.

Picture a behemoth pile of 35,000 plastic bottles and aluminum cans headed to the soon-to-close Powell landfill. It's not a pretty picture. But if each person through the fair gates consumes just one bottled drink over the course of the week, it's an unfortunate reality.

In this day and age, with the heightened conscience about the planet's health — not to mention the ever-looming landfill issues faced in Park County — residents need to demand more.

Recycling simply is no longer an option, but a duty.

Many things in Park County harken back to the good old days — including the old-fashioned county fair — but unnecessarily piling refuse in the landfill is inexcusable.

It's high time for the entire county — municipalities, post offices, hospitals, businesses and residents — to look at ways to increase recycling accessibility.