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We ask that as a member you take a minute to surf the NMRC website and then take a brief survey. This helps us improve and makes sure we are providing you with what you need!

Home Page: www.recyclenewmexico.com

Survey Link: http://www.nmrecycle.org/forms/survey.html.

 

Justin Stockdale with Santa Fe Solid Waste Management Agency gives a tour to the NMRC board and guests last week. Pictured is the baler room.

 

Legislative Updates

 

The legislature just completed, but will enter into a special session starting March 20th. It is doubtful that any of our recycling-related bills will be heard in this session. This session saw more recycling and solid waste bills in recent memory.

 

Bills that were introduced and their final status:

 

Passed:

Sustainable Building Tax Credits, HB534/SB543. 

Penalties for Used Oil Violations, SB266.

Create Surplus Property Bureau, SB313.

Study Uses for Dairy Biomass, SJM57.

Water and Sanitation District Authority, HB1032.

 

Did Not Make It Through Committees:

Local Recycling & Waste Collection Assistance, HB84/SB193

Coalition to Combat Illegal Dumping, HJM6

Funding a Task Force for Illegal Dumping, HB180/SN939

Solid Waste Facility Grant Fund, HB440

Phone Directory and Unsolicited Mail Delivery, HB700

Solid Waste Transportation Fund, SB978/HB1002

NM as Energy Conservation Leader, HJM12

Sale of Salvage Vehicles to Recyclers, SB933

Prescription Medication Donations, HB46

 

Failed:

Consumer Information Technology Recycling Act, SB1884.

 

For more specific information and links to the bill language, check out our Bills webpage at www.recyclenewmexico.com/Bills.htm.

 

NMRC Annual Meeting to Address Climate Change in Relation To Recycling, May 23

 

Our 2007 NMRC Annual Membership Meeting has been scheduled for May 23 at the University of New Mexico Rotunda in Albuquerque and will focus on legislative updates and implications for our industry, as well as climate change in regard to recycling. Mark your calendars for May 23 to attend this great networking and educational meeting!

 

Invited Speakers:

Senator Dede Feldman, keynote speaker

Jim Norton, NM Environment Department Environmental Protection Division Director and Climate Change Executive Task Force committee member

Chuck White, Waste Management expert on climate change and recycling/solid waste implications

 

You can register online at www.recyclenewmexico.com/Annual_Meeting2007.htm

 

We are currently in the process of soliciting vendors - if you are interested contact Megan Sterner at megan@recyclenewmexico.com or call 699-1434.

 

Post-Secondary Institution Recycling Program Training, June 27

 

The New Mexico Environment Department: Solid Waste Bureau will host a recycling training program targeted at New Mexico's approximately 50 colleges and universities on June 27 in Albuquerque at the UNM Rotunda North. NMED:SWB has

received a grant from the America Forest and Paper Association to fly in AF&PA's 2006 winners for best university recycling programs. The guest speakers will include Jack Debell from University of Colorado, Karyn Kaplan from University of Oregon and Linda McCormick from the University of New Mexico (recipient of the NMRC 2006 Best Post-Secondary Recycler award). For more information, please contact Jill Holbert, NM Environment Department, jill.holbert@state.nm.us or 505-827-0129.

Editorial: Fight Climate Change with Recycling

Submitted to the Rio Rancho Observer by Marlene Feuer, Government and Public Affairs Manager, Waste Management of New Mexico and NMRC Board Member.

When it comes to concerns about climate change, it’s tough to figure out what a lone citizen can do to make a difference.  Although it’s easy to say that we share collective responsibility, taking personal responsibility for reducing greenhouse gas emissions seems like trying to bail out a super tanker with a water glass.  And yet, we cannot collectively work on preventing pollution without each one of us taking personal initiative.   

Many of us in Rio Rancho, whether we know it or not, are already starting to do our part by making efforts to recycle.  Recycling helps reduce greenhouse gases in a couple of important ways: 

Recycling conserves energy. Energy use, whether for electricity or fuel, is by far the biggest source of greenhouse gases, mostly from carbon-based sources like coal and petroleum. Commonly used products made from new or “virgin” materials like paper, plastic, glass, and aluminum need huge amounts of energy both to harvest or mine raw materials and to manufacture and transport finished products for sale.  Manufacturing with recycled materials significantly reduces energy use, and therefore reduces greenhouse gases.  Recycling one aluminum can, for example, saves enough energy to power a TV for 3 hours. The energy savings from recycling one glass bottle will power a computer for 25 minutes. 

Recycling saves forest resources.  Forests are important in the fight against climate change because trees and other plant matter take in and hold, or “sequester,” carbon.  Forest carbon sequestration is a natural way to reduce the level of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.  Recycling paper products dramatically reduces the need to harvest trees and helps slow the increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.  Recycling four feet of newspaper can save one average-sized tree.

Can we recycle enough to make an impact?  Waste Management recycled enough paper and cardboard last year to save 70 million trees, and we recycled enough paper alone to save 41 million trees. In 2005, we recycled 5 million-plus tons of commodities, which prevented the release of more than 3.4 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions. 

This recycling was the result of the efforts of our customers in Rio Rancho and around the country.  This year, with your efforts, we could do even better.  The earth thanks you for being part of the solution and Waste Management thanks you for Thinking Green. 

How Waste Management NM's Recyclables Are Processed 

Waste Management collects recycling from residential customers in Bernalillo County, the City of Rio Rancho, Los Ranchos de Albuquerque and Kirtland Family Housing.  The recyclables are collected through a single-stream process, meaning that all recyclables, including paper, plastic and aluminum are commingled in one single recycling cart, for customer convenience.  All recycling is then taken to McKinley Recycling Facility in the South Valley.  At McKinley, all recyclables are baled.  They are then transported to the Franklin Street Materials Recovery Facility in Denver, Colorado. There, the bales are opened and sorted. Contaminated materials are discarded and the rest of the recyclables are sold to various materials processors by type.  Items are currently shipped to the following mills or recyclers: 

·       Newspaper is sent to Norpac in Portland, Oregon

·       Mixed paper is sent to American Chungnam in China

·       Corrugated cardboard is sent to Georgia Pacific in Toledo, Oregon

·       Aluminum is sent to Anheuser-Busch at various locations

·       PET plastic bottles are sent to Mings Recycle in California

·       HDPE plastic bottles are sent to KW Plastics, Alabama

·       Steel cans are sent to Tube City in Glassport, Pennsylvania or Conti Group in Brooklyn, New York 

All drivers are required to file reports on every load that they drop at McKinley, and those records are reconciled against the route records.  Additionally, all loads that are dropped at Waste Management’s Rio Rancho Landfill are similarly recorded, so a recycling load dropped at the landfill would be subject to scrutiny.  Drivers whose recycling loads ended up anywhere other than McKinley would be subject to reprimand.  However, there have been no incidents of load dumping by Waste Management drivers in at least the last five years. 

 In the past couple of years only two loads of the hundreds of loads of recyclables that were handled locally by Waste Management did not get recycled.  In the first case, a load of recycling was contaminated by used motor oil that had been placed in a recycling container. Following protocol, the driver notified the route manager, who conducted a final check to see if the load could be salvaged and decided that it could not. Landfilling was the action of last resort.  In the second case, hot ashes that had been placed in a recycling bin caught fire and the entire load burned.

“Our customers trust us to help them reduce waste,” said Rick Ahumada, District Manager of WM New Mexico.  “We value and share that commitment.  Everybody at Waste Management from our drivers and drivers’ assistants through our senior management believes that recycling is an important way we can protect the earth for future generations.  We are proud to be involved in that process and would never do anything that would harm our customers’ trust in us to do the right thing.”

Earth Day Around New Mexico

 

If you have an event that you want listed in the next edition of Scraps, please submit to english@recyclenewmexico.com

 

Los Alamos National Laboratory: The 4th Annual Great Garbage Grab at the Lab where teams are formed and pickup trash for 2 weeks.  The winner receives the prestigious traveling trash trophy.

 

Navajo Nation EPA: NM Clean & Beautiful clean-up, working with 54 Navajo communities from April through July.   

 

Santa Fe: April 21, All Species Day and EcoVersity Earth Day celebration. April 22, Santa Fe Solid Waste Management Agency BuRRT Household Hazardous Waste free collection day. No e-waste allowed this year.

 

Los Alamos: April 14, Cleanup Los Alamos Day. April 21, the Pajarito Environmental Education Center Earth Day Event with talks, shows and hikes throughout the week. See www.pajaritoeec.org.  

 

Rio Rancho: May 5, Keep Rio Rancho Beautiful 4th Annual Earth Festival. View exhibits from many environmental agencies, take part in hands-on demonstrations, and activities. Learn about native animals, water conservation, waste reduction, composting and more! Saturday May 5 10 a.m.-3p.m. Loma Colorado Park

 

Lincoln County: April 14, the 2nd Annual Lincoln County Electronic Recycling Day, (9am-Noon), Sierra Mall, hosted by Lincoln County Solid Waste Authority. Event includes Otero County residents.

 

Cannon Air Force Base: April 19, 5k Fun Run. The 27 CES Operations Flight will plant trees and beautify the landscaping in base parks. Joint outreach with City of Clovis to community during Earth Day week. The “Caught in the Act” recycling contest will reward those individuals committed to recycling.

 

Pecan Growers and Dairy Farmers Unite to Create a Compost Relationship

 

Every year, Southern New Mexico pecan farmers must prune their trees in order to ensure maximum yield. The trimmings in the past have been burned in slash piles. Due to efforts of David Tucker, a NM Department of Transportation (NMDOT) District 1 engineer, the pecan growers are now chipping the material and working with local dairy farmers to create an excellent compost material usable on roadside re-seeding and erosion control projects. NMDOT has been specifying compost for roadside projects for the past several years and have been pleased with the results the material provides compared to other technologies such as straw blankets or silt fences. As the pecan grower and dairy farmer relationship grows, we expect large volumes of material to be ready for market to the NMDOT. For more information about creating compost for sale to this market, please read the next news item on an upcoming workshop.

 

Providing Composted Mulch to the NM Department of Transportation Workshop, April 4, Santa Fe

 

The New Mexico Recycling Coalition will host a morning workshop in Santa Fe to provide detailed information on the compost specifications used by the NM Department of Transportation (NMDOT), necessary components to creating a good composted mulch and how the NMDOT is implementing this product on their roadside projects.

 

This class is hosted via NMRC's USDA Forest Service CFRP grant and is open to all interested parties in an effort to increase the amount of composted mulch and unprocessed mulch material produced for NMDOT's use.

 

The workshop is scheduled on April 4, from 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM at the BLM offices in Santa Fe. The workshop is free.

 

For more information or to register, contact Sarah Pierpont at sarah@recyclenewmexico.com or call 505-603-0558.

 

National Recycling Coalition Community Recycler Council Launches

 

The NRC has several technical councils that are open to members to join and become part of a national listserve network. As a NM Recycling Coalition member, you are also a National Recycling Coalition member (except for Associate members). Already established are a College & University Recycling Council and a Recycling Organization Council.

 

The Community Recycling Council is a blending of the former rural recycling and nonprofit recycling councils, that merged to become re-energized as the Community Recycling Council. The council is meant to represent individuals working in rural areas and small communities, nonprofit organizations. The council meets each year in person during the National Recycling Congress to network.

 

Join today by going to www.nrc-recycle.org and follow the Technical Council link. First join as a member of the council and then choose to join the listserve. When you login to the NRC website as a member, the prompts will guide you to gain your password, as I'm not sure otherwise how else you'd know it.

 

Solid Waste Management Plan to be Heard at EIB on April 3

 

The Environmental Improvement Board will hear the Solid Waste Management Plan on Tuesday, April 3.  Information on EIB meeting location and agenda at   http://www.nmenv.state.nm.us/eib/index.html. 

 

Regional Recycling Round-Up

 

Albuquerque Update: In response to the land-filled recyclables in February, the City of Albuquerque Solid Waste Department has created a contingency plan with Durango McKinley Paper Company to ensure that no recyclables will be taken to the landfill.

 

Santa Fe Update: As of April 21, Santa Fe will officially accept phone books year-round for recycling at the BuRRT transfer station.

 

We would love to include regular updates on your community's recycling efforts. Please e-mail english@recyclenewmexico.com with your news.

Calendar

 

**March 29, CFRP Training for Forest Professionals, Ruidoso Downs. More info from sarah@recyclenewmexico.com

**April 4, Providing Composted Mulch to the NM Department of Transportation, Santa Fe. More info from sarah@recyclenewmexico.com

**May 23, NMRC Annual Meeting and Workshop, UNM Rotunda North, 8:00-2:00 PM. RSVP to megan@recyclenewmexico.com

**July 20, NMRC Board Meeting, Rio Rancho, 12-4 PM

**September 16-19, National Recycling Coalition Congress, Denver

**September 21, NMRC Board Meeting, Los Alamos, 12-4 PM

**Nov 30-Dec 1, NMRC Board Retreat, Sevilleta

 

 

If you have questions about any of the above information or have articles for future Recycling Scraps, please e-mail or call me. 

 

English Bird

Executive Director

New Mexico Recycling Coalition

PO Box 24364, Santa Fe, NM 87502

english@recyclenewmexico.com

(505) 983-4470

Fax (505) 466-6266