'Recycled' house open next week

America Recycles Day Inc. and the Nebraska State Recycling Association plan a grand opening and tours at "The House that Recycling Built," in McCook, July 24, 25 and 26.

National and state officials plan a ribbon cutting Thursday, July 24, at 10:30 a.m., followed by refreshments, house tours and displays of building products.

The public is invited to the grand opening activities, as well as house tours Friday, July 25, and Saturday, July 26, from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.

The house, at 902 Norris Avenue, spotlights recycled-content and environmentally-friendly building materials and energy-saving technology. The 1,600-square-foot house was built by Gilpin Construction of Cambridge.

The house was the $200,000 grand prize in a nation-wide America Recycles Day drawing in February 2001. The winner was Judith Mahoney of McCook, who has since moved to New Mexico.

The McCook house is America Recycles Day's third "Green Dream Home," and the first in the Midwest. Other "Green Dream Homes" are in Texas and North Carolina.

America Recycles Day in Nebraska began in 1997 as part of a nation-wide campaign to promote the social, economic and environmental benefits of recycling and buying recycled-content products.