The New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) and New Mexico Recycling Coalition (NMRC) hosted a 3-day Recycling Facility Operator Certification Course in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, in mid-December. Recycling professionals from the South Central Solid Waste Authority (SCSWA) in Las Cruces attended, as well as those from as far away as Clovis, Angel Fire and Navajo Nation. Thirty-two attendees plus speakers and trainers gathered in T-or-C to learn best practices on safely and sustainably operating recycling programs.
“New Mexico is unique in that our state statute requires that operators of registered recycling facilities obtain certification through this course,” said Sarah Pierpont, NMRC executive director. “That means our state’s recycling professionals have a standardized, base-level of knowledge to help them safely run sustainable programs. When I talk to my recycling peers in other states, they’re jealous of this unified professional development message!”
T-or-C was an ideal centralized location to not only recertify for the year, but a way for those in the recycling industry to hear how other communities are managing recycling in challenging times.
“With China having closed its borders to recycling, now it’s up to us at a state-level to keep our programs healthy and growing,” said Miguel Fernandez, South Central Solid Waste Authority (SCSWA) Recycling Services administrator. “We learn from others, and smaller towns can see what Las Cruces is doing to keep its recycling contamination low, meaning no food waste and only taking high-quality recyclables like clean and dry corrugated cardboard. As a part of the Rio Grande Recycling Corridor, the SCSWA wants to be a model for other communities that are looking for innovation in their recycling programs.”
The training wrapped up with a tour of a recycling facility – T-or-C’s Waste Collection and Recycling Center – where corrugated cardboard, aluminum cans and shredded office paper are all baled on-site and shipped to Albuquerque for sale.
“At the end, we take our Recycling Facility Operator Certification Exam,” said Fernandez, “knowing that we’re staying current and that our programs - no matter what size - continue thriving.”
Green Connections is submitted by the South Central Solid Waste Authority (SCSWA) managing solid waste, recyclables, and working to stop illegal dumping for residents and businesses throughout Doña Ana County. Contact the SCSWA at (575) 528-3800 or visit www.SCSWA.net.