More Information from City of Albuquerque Zero Waste Initiative Press Release Backgrounder:

• The city of Albuquerque produces 600,000 tons of garbage annually

• 81% of total landfill is municipal collections with 48% residential and 52% commercial

• Recycling will be set-up at all city facilities, parks and public spaces

• Update city purchasing policies to require larger percentage post-consumer and product recyclability

• Challenge departments to conserve and recycle, measure success

• Provide incentives for commercial recycling

Environment Department Announces Recipients of First Recycling and Illegal Dumping Grants

The New Mexico Environment Department announced thirteen recipients of nearly $250,000 in the first round of recycling and illegal dumping grants.  The grant program is authorized under the new Recycling and Illegal Dumping rules, adopted in December 2006.

“We have to continue to do more to recycle and reduce the illegal dumping blight on New Mexico’s landscape,” New Mexico Environment Department Secretary Ron Curry said. “The Environment department has committed grant funds to help local entities address these issues.  Funds are being sent to the frontlines, where they can be the most effective.”

“This is good opportunity for NMED and local entities to partner in addressing issues that are of mutual concern—reducing our burden on landfills and decreasing waste illegally dumped in our communities,” said NMED Environmental Protection Division Director Jim Norton. “Recycling efforts resulting from these grants will help protect New Mexico’s natural resources.”

Funded projects range from local illegal dumping education and cleanup programs to purchasing balers to prepare recyclables for shipment.  For a complete list, see the attachment.

The purpose of the grants are to provide annual grant funding to support projects that will protect the health and welfare of the environment and current and future residents of New Mexico by preventing and abating illegal dumpsites; promote environmentally sound methods for reuse and recycling; and encourage economic development, community development and collaboration that promotes the efficient and sustainable use of resources, sustainable recycling and a cleaner and healthier environment.

Entities eligible for grant funds include municipalities, counties, tribes, land grant communities, cooperative associations and solid waste authorities.

The next grant cycle opens July 1, 2007, with completed grant applications due to the department by October 1, 2007.  Priorities for funding in 2007 include programs that eliminate or reduce illegal dump sites or prevent future illegal dumping and recycling programs which target motor oil, lead acid batteries, cardboard, or newspaper.

For more information contact Jill Holbert at NMED at 505-827-0129. You can find the online application after July 1 at www.nmenv.state.nm.us/SWB/.

Funded Programs:

 

Recycling:

Applicant	Project Title
Clovis, City of	Purchase of Recycling Containers
Isleta, Pueblo of	Purchase of Capital Equipment to Promote Recycling
Lincoln County Solid Waste Authority	Enhanced Recycling Processing in Lincoln County
Raton, City of	Paper and Cardboard Baler, with Plastic Container Capabilities
Santa Fe County	Establishing a Materials Recovery Program at the Pecos Valley Transfer Station; Village of Pecos, New Mexico
Southwest Solid Waste Authority	Kids! Get Caught Recycling

 

Illegal Dumping:

Applicant	Project Title
Chama, Village of	Stop Illegal Dumping
Clovis, City of	Illegal Dumping Site Cleanup
Estancia Valley Solid Waste Authority	Illegal Dumping Cleanup in Torrance County
Gallup, City of	Citizens Remove Ugly Dumpsites C.R.U.D.
Hobbs, City of	Operation "Complex" Cleanup
Sandoval County	Integrated Solid Waste Plan: Illegal Dumping & Recycling Program
Santa Ana, Pueblo of	Open Dumping Abatement and Community Awareness
Socorro, City of	Illegal Dumping Prevention Program

 

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.

 

National Recycling Coalition Conference - Registration Schedule

 

Experience the premier national recycling and sustainability conference in Denver this year from September 16-19, 2007.

 

Here is the timeline for early bird registration and discount schedule:

 

By June 30: $495 for NRC members

July 1-Aug 31: $605 for members

On-Site Registration: $695 for NRC members

 

If you are a NMRC Associate member, please call English Bird at 983-4470 to be upgraded to the Individual level. The $445 rate saves you $250 off onsite registration rates.

 

There are also a limited number of volunteer slots available to help offset registration costs.

 

New Mexico Businesses may want to consider exhibiting at the conference. Rates start at $15/sq ft. Go to "Exhibit Opportunities" at the www.recyclingconference.org website.

 

College students may apply for scholarship funds to attend the conference. Applications due by August 3rd. Applications will be available online at
http://nrc-recycle.org/curc.aspx starting May 7 or by contacting NRC program manager, Alec Cooley at  (843) 278-7686 or alecc@nrc-recycle.org

Register online at www.recyclingconference.org  

Wal-Mart Delivers Checks to New Mexico Schools

On May 24, 2007, Wal-Mart awarded $21,240 to 77 New Mexico elementary schools for teacher and student participation in the company’s Kids’ Recycling Challenge program. Schools in 12 western states were invited to enroll in this program that extended from September 2006, through March 2007, which established a two level competition for students. First, students were charged with collecting and bringing back plastic retail and grocery bags to their schools and for each 60-gallon collection bag filled with this plastic, the school was paid $5.00. Collection bags were delivered to Wal-Mart stores for recycling. Second, schools in New Mexico competed with each other to recycle the most plastic bags and for cash prizes awarded to the top ten finishers. The New Mexico winner is Coronado Elementary in Hobbs and the school earned $4,275 for placing first and filling 255 collection bags. All together, 77 elementary schools in the state stuffed 2,698 collection bags thereby recycling 43,168 pounds of plastic shopping bags and earning $21,240 from Wal-Mart.

The Kids’ Recycling Challenge is the largest plastic bag recycling program of its kind. Since its inception in February 2005, almost 2,800 schools have enrolled in the Challenge across the western U.S., and the program has engaged more than one million students. These schools and students have recycled 1,400 tons of plastic bags with Wal-Mart paying out $1.2 million in proceeds.

Next year’s Kids’ Recycling Challenge in New Mexico will run from fall 2007 through spring 2008 and interested teachers and schools are invited to visit: www.kidsrecyclingchallenge.com to learn more, enroll in the Challenge and build other student recycling projects around this program.

New Mexico SWANA Road-E-O Champs

 

Calendar

 

**July 20, NMRC Board Meeting, Rio Rancho, 12-4 PM, RSVP to English@recyclenewmexico.com

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

**September 21, NMRC Board Meeting, Location TBA, 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