“Our Las Cruces recycling program is evolving,” explains Patrick Peck, South Central Solid Waste Authority (SCSWA) Director, “China has dramatically changed the rules of the recycling game – no longer accepting low quality or contaminated recyclables – so we are urging our recycling processor, Friedman Recycling, to focus on domestic markets to process our recyclables.”
“In order to work with domestic markets,” Peck stresses, “we want high-quality, known recyclables that are easy to identify, and are already prevalent in our mix. We are asking our residents to remember the ‘Fab 5’ when they have questions about what goes into their blue recycling bin, or when they make a purchase.”
PLEASE DO RECYCLE THE “FAB 5”:
· Clean Corrugated Cardboard: Not tissue or cracker boxes, but your Amazon boxes - sturdy cardboard with ridges that can be remade into other items.
· White printer paper: White paper, what you find in an office, can be reprocessed and dyed into any other color, but colored paper cannot. Paper thickness or size doesn’t matter.
· Plastic #1: Usually clear – think water and soda bottles. This plastic is commonly recycled into textiles or apparel and is even used as a building material in countries where the containers and filled with sand and then stacked to construct walls.
· Plastic #2: Think your RINSED milk jugs and detergent jugs. If you wonder what type of plastic it is, check the bottom of the bottle for the little number inside the recycling logo. Then rinse it out and put it in the bin.
· Aluminum & Tin Cans: The ultimate recyclable. We want your cans! Just make sure they’ve been rinsed at the sink.
The SCSWA will still accept all other items listed on the top of the blue bin (such as plastics 3-7, cracker and cereal boxes, and newspaper) but those items will be exported or landfilled if Friedman is unable to find a buyer in 90 days, as there are no regional mills that will recycle these materials.
“In the current scenario, it makes good sense to shift and work with domestic recycling markets,” adds Peck, “it’s cheaper than shipping materials across the globe, reduces our carbon footprint, and develops regional jobs.” It also means the SCSWA will have more direct involvement with the marketing of our own materials.
Friedman Recycling is also the recycling processor for El Paso, and the SCSWA is initiating collaborations with City of El Paso to begin a regional recycling effort that extends beyond our state line.
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.