After working on a community recycling program for more than a year, the Helena City Council has taken a step closer to making the program a reality.

Councilmember Cris Nelson said the council is collecting bids for the recycling program, to be opened next week.

Nelson said convenience is key to get residents to participate in any recycling program.

“What we’re shooting for is that it’ll be a driveway pick-up, so that it can be as convenient as possible,” she said.

However, that convenience sometimes presents a problem. Most recycling pick-up companies want to also do garbage pick-up to maximize business, but the city of Helena already does its own garbage pick-up.

Because of that, the council’s unsure of how much residents would have to pay for curbside recycling pick-up.

“We have a lot of residents that are very interested in the program, but some of them are not willing to pay for it,” she said. “That’s been the difficult part. We’re trying to find something that’ll be a happy medium for everybody.”

Nelson said the program would help Helena residents make better choices for the environment.

“It’ll have a very good impact on getting the citizens of Helena to think about what they’re using and what they’re throwing away, and to be a little more conscious about what affects the environment,” she said.