A Pepin County convenience store is offering its customers a chance to go green.

The Countryside Co-op Cenex Store in Durand started putting out recycling bins for its customers to use last week.

Anna McCabe is a recycling assistant in a six county area that includes Eau Claire, Dunn, Pierce, Polk, St. Croix, and Pepin counties.

She says convenience stores in these areas will now have the opportunity to offer recycling bins for their customers if they want.

It's a common trend,

But it's one hard to find when you stop by to fill up your tank.

Anna McCabe says, "There's a lot of different businesses and convenience stores, other places, where recycling should be and they aren't as focused on it as single, residential homes."

But thanks to a six county initiative, that's about to change.

"Convenience store owners say by offering the option of recycling, it'll help cut down on the costs of garbage collection."

Jim Kallstrom says, "The time has come, With fuel costs and everything. I know our garbage tipping fees are going to go up, and the less times I have to have that garbage truck stop here for the dumpsters, the more it's going to save us."

One convenience store in Durand is now offering recycling bins for its customers to use.

Jim Kallstrom says, "I think the time has come for it. I'm very pleased with the way it's turned out. It's only been a week, but I'm very happy with it."

Jim Kallstrom is the manager of the store.

He says he feels a lot of customers want the chance to recycle and says it's up to the stores to offer them the option.

Jim Kallstrom says, "Many of the products we sell at the stores are recyclable, so it only makes sense that we'd try to return them responsibly to where they belong."

McCabe says the program is just getting off the ground and says she'll be contacting stores around the area to see if they want to participate.

John McHugh with Kwik Trip says the stores are already testing similar programs at various locations and if it works, the company will start offering recycling to more of its customers.