A pilot program to help recycle useful items at the Columbia Falls green box site has closed for the season.

The program was created after public outcry over the Flathead County Commissioners' decision to close the green box site to "Dumpster diving" as a safety measure. Members of the public often stationed themselves at the site for hours at a time retrieving useful or recyclable items from the large metal boxes.

Flathead Industries approached the county about the pilot program in August. The nonprofit agreed to position a truck and people at the Columbia Falls site three days a week. Keeping useful items out of the landfill is a goal of the Flathead County Solid Waste Board.

According to Flathead County public works director Dave Prunty, it was agreed from the beginning that the pilot program would be seasonal. He said the volume of materials handled by Flathead Industries at the local site wasn't large, but the nonprofit said it expects the program to grow next year.