Santa Fe, NM – Gratitude, especially for our essential workers, is always in season. It’s been an intense year for everyone, and our recycling and compost professionals across the state are no exception: these essential workers have kept working to keep our communities clean and beautiful while simultaneously adjusting to new safety measures. The New Mexico Recycling Coalition (NMRC) is delighted to celebrate their tremendous impact! Since 2004, NMRC recognizes communities and individuals each year that inspire their fellow New Mexicans to reduce, reuse and recycle.
The first two awards are given to an employee that helps to make their community/work/school’s compost or recycling program a success.
Joe Padilla of Keep Luna County Beautiful: Recycling Facility Employee of the Year
Mr. Padilla is the Keep Luna County Beautiful Coordinator for Luna County, New Mexico. He is tasked with overseeing recycling and reuse projects, clean-ups and community events. Joe consistently goes the extra mile to provide customer education. This includes coordinating the popular annual community yard sale and re-use events as well as leading clean-ups of illegal dumping sites. Thank you, Mr.Padilla, for keeping Luna County beautiful in 2020 and always.
Trevor Ortiz of Reunity Resources: Compost Facility Employee of the Year
Trevor Ortiz is the Compost Operations Manager at Reunity Resources, a commercial composting facility located in Santa Fe that diverts over 1.5 million pounds of food waste each year and creates thousands of yards of premium compost for local gardeners. Mr. Ortiz is a hardworking Compost Operations Manager with over five years’ experience. He drew upon his work ethic and grit during the tumultuous 2020 pandemic spring. With an increase in the number of home garden projects, Mr. Ortiz worked overtime to serve the high number of customers, educate novice gardeners and provide information and value to anyone shopping for compost products.
Next, we look to the projects that our cities and counties recently completed to divert material from landfills.
Bernalillo County: Recycling Diversion Project of the Year
Bernalillo County created a county-wide initiative to reduce the physical paper footprint of the county. The project, led by Emmanuel Rodriguez, Records Manager and Diane Chavez, Special Projects Coordinator, along with Lisa Sedillo-White and Gina Ortega of Bernalillo County, included recycling of paper through secure document destruction practices and COVID-safe community ‘spring cleaning’ drop off events. Bernalillo County also improved efficiency by reducing unnecessary document creation and accumulation by departments. It was reported that in the 3rd quarter of 2019, Bernalillo County worked together to recycle an additional 40 tons of paper based on this initiative.
City of Albuquerque: Compost Diversion Project of the Year
When a portion of a landfill is at capacity, it must be carefully capped and closed. Albuquerque’s Cerro Colorado Landfill underwent a partial closure and drainage improvement project for its, “cells one through three.” The City’s Solid Waste department, led efforts to close the landfill, while diverting organic materials from the waste stream. The project led by Daniele Berardelli, Superintendent of Solid Waste; Jill Holbert, Associate Director of Solid Waste; and Matthew Whelan, Director of Solid Waste, used almost 30,000 cubic yards of woody mulch, or approximately 6,000 tons, as cover in the closure of 37 acres of a 395-acre landfill. This innovative end use for organic materials and alternative cover design was proposed by the design team and accepted by the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED): it is the first of its kind in New Mexico. It includes an evapotranspiration erosion control layer, which consists of six inches of woody mulch to replace the standard prescriptive cover system. Evapotranspiration covers use the water storage properties of soil to retain water until the water is either transpired through vegetation or evaporated from the soil surface, leading to cleaner surface water and healthier soil at the site.
The state’s Recycler of the Year Award is given to someone who works to increase the amount of recyclables diverted from the landfill, while also reducing contamination within the recycling.
Scott Guffey of Estancia Valley Solid Waste Authority: Recycler of the Year
Scott Guffey is the Operations Supervisor for the Estancia Valley Solid Waste Authority where he oversees eight collection stations. In addition to educating his community and leading his team to collect clean recyclables, he oversees the Authority’s ‘swap shop’ where residents can drop off used items in good condition to be picked up for free by other visitors. Mr. Guffey also mulches brush for compost and irrigation projects, collects cardboard, recycles batteries, light bulbs, metal, used motor oil and antifreeze. Mr. Guffey helped bring recycling to the Estancia Valley with the opening of their recycling processing facility in 2012 and consistently provides service to local residents in a friendly and informed manner.
Suzanne Michaels, E. Gifford Stack Lifetime Achievement Award
E. Gifford Stack served as one of the founding board members of the New Mexico Recycling Coalition and directed the outreach division at the NM Environment Department: Solid Waste Bureau. The award is named after him and given to someone who shares their passion to reduce, reuse and recycle throughout many aspects of their lives.
This prestigious award goes to Suzanne Michaels of Las Cruces for her work as a public relations specialist supporting recycling, waste diversion and other utility based topics during her career. Ms. Michaels served as a public relations representative for the South Central Solid Waste Authority (SCSWA) since 2006 where she worked tirelessly to educate the public on why and how to recycle. Ms. Michaels developed the green connections monthly articles featured in the Las Cruces Sun News, and served as the voice for recycling for all SCSWA community outreach programs.
Her work earned recognition from area City Councils, County Commissions and various Boards for its effective use of public outreach to educate and engage residents on recycling, waste management and illegal dumping. Ms. Michaels' media model was so successful that it was adopted by other departments in the City of Las Cruces and the State. Suzanne made a difference and will be missed in her retirement. Congratulations, Suzanne and thank you!
About New Mexico Recycling Coalition
New Mexico Recycling Coalition is a non-profit, member-supported organization that serves as a recycling advocate working with a diverse group of stakeholders, communities, businesses, schools and grassroots activists to help build sustainable and efficient recycling programs. To learn more, visit www.recyclenewmexico.com.