It takes money to promote good intentions, and it takes good promotion to be seen. Only when you're seen can you begin to push your cause.

So goes Recycle Montana, a relative unknown in the state's field of nonprofit organizations.

Yet come next year, when the group's new license plate enters circulation, the organization hopes money from the plate and the attention it draws will help Recycle Montana become a household name.

"We've never had (a recycling) organization that represents the entire state," said Bill Crane, a former Recycle Montana board member and active volunteer. "Those plates will be one of our major fundraisers next year. We're still trying to get the word out."

Montana lags behind many other states in its recycling efforts. At the same time, experts say, the state also faces unique challenges, such as lack of infrastructure for recycling and distance between communities.

Crane said the problems are amplified when people don't make an honest effort to recycle. Only one of five Montanans do recycle, roughly speaking, with white paper still accounting for 40 percent of the waste stream, Crane said.

"One of our goals was to create a Web site to give people the ability to find the nearest recycling facility for what they wish to recycle," Crane said. "That's for some of the harder things, like batteries and electronic waste."

To promote its cause, members of Recycle Montana set out to design a license plate that was "pretty with a message." Once the plates enter circulation, they'll help the organization raise publicity and generate some needed cash.

But the organization must sell 400 plates by the second anniversary of their date of issue. If members can't drive up the numbers, the plates will be pulled from production.

"We're hoping the plates generate some money so we can carry on with our program," sad Mike Kempel, manager of Pacific Steel and Recycling in Helena, and a Recycle Montana board member.

"That's what we're trying to do," he added. "If we can get enough people to join, we'll have more funds to promote more recycling in the state."

In the meantime, the group is working to build its membership base. Already it has landed some larger industry-based sponsors such as Pacific Steel, Allied Waste, Coca-Cola, Great West Engineering and the Montana Department of Environment Quality.

Several cities also have come aboard, including Helena, Billings and Bozeman.

"We're tying to get more awareness," Kempel said. "We think it's important to educate and make opportunities available for people to recycle."

Reporter Martin Kidston: 447-4086 or mkidston@helenair.com