South Central Solid Waste Authority (SCSWA) and Las Cruces Utilities (LCU) work together to manage not only solid waste collection and disposal but also recycling pickup and transfer station/landfill services. As the city grows, the collaboration between both is unifying how customers seek information about waste disposal and recycling.
In July 2020, the LCU Board of Commissioners approved a Memorandum of Understating (MOU) between LCU and SCSWA, with Resolution No. 20-21-LCU002, for SCSWA to provide funding for a customer service position at LCU to address the needs of residents related to solid waste collection, disposal, and recycling. LCU, in turn, will fund a second position for a “One Stop, One Call” for utility-related questions.
“With the support of the LCU Board of Commissioners, we’re aiming to get new recycling containers for all of our customers that will have one easy number to call if customers have questions,” explained Patrick Peck, SCSWA director. That new number – (575) 541-2111 – will allow customers to get answers about what can be recycled and any issues with solid waste or grappler pick-up.
Previously, questions on things like recycling were sent back to SCSWA, and any trash pickup questions – such as why a container may not have been picked up or what to do if a container was broken – would have been sent back to LCU.
Another upcoming initiative will be that SCSWA aims to revitalize with recycling even more; the change in containers throughout the city will be the first effect customers will see.
In the past, Friedman Recycling, headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, would take Las Cruces recycling to their El Paso material recovery facility. Peck is working to take that in-house as well, but plans are still in development.
Peck said, “We will be investing $1.3 million on new trucks and employees to beef up our recycling program in Las Cruces to capture the full value of what we work to keep clean and ready to recycle.”
Customers may have seen the recent 35 cent increase in recycling that took effect July 1, 2021. This is part of a phased-in increase to support local recycling after China closed its border to U.S. recyclers, dropping the market value, particularly for contaminated recycling such as cardboard pizza boxes with grease.
“There will always be an intersection between solid waste and recycling,” said Peck. “But we want to make it easier for customers to take out their trash while making their ability to recycle second nature. When that happens, we can grow our facility’s future ability to be the hub of recycling for our area.”
South Central Solid Waste Authority manages solid waste and recyclables for residents and businesses throughout Doña Ana County. Contact SCSWA at (575) 528-3800 or visit www.SCSWA.net.