HOUGHTON – Recycling bins will be coming to Houghton-Portage Township Schools.

Superintendent Doreen Klingbeil told the board Monday she had been in talks with Waste Management, which can provide the elementary and middle/high schools with a bin and pickups.

Klingbeil said the district would pay about $250 a month for once-a-week recycling pickup at the two buildings.

The district would add bins inside for single-stream recycling of paper, accompanied by a move toward paper products in the lunchroom, Klingbeil said.

“I think the kids will really get into it, too,” she said. “I could see in the lunchroom, if we start a different thing that’s just for paper products from the lunchroom from their own lunches, I think they’ll start to do that, and they’ll want to do more.”

Klingbeil said she would like to start in March on a trial basis. The district could suspend the contract in July or August without paying anything, she said. Eventually, Waste Management would like to see the school enter into a two- or three-year contract, Klingbeil said.

Paper recycling has already been going on at the middle and high school for many years, High School Principal Patrick Aldrich said. Up to this point, it has been picked up by Copper Country Mental Health, Aldrich said. There has also been recycling of cans.

“We’re doing this already,” Aldrich said. “I think this will make it a little more efficient.”

Philip Foltz said the municipal programs in Houghton and Hancock have been successful.

“I would definitely encourage them to look at cans and a lot of the stuff we use in the kitchen,” he said.