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Curbside Recycling Comes To NMSU Las Cruces

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – A selection of garbage bins at New Mexico State University are no longer going stag thanks to some new curbside companions, also known as recycling carts, that have been added to some student family housing units. The new curbside recycling program begins with the inaugural pick-up of recyclables Oct. 12.

NMSU's office of Housing and Residential Life announced 300 curbside recycling carts were distributed Oct. 1 to the Tom Fort and Sutherland Village neighborhoods, an on-campus housing sector comprised of single-family homes. After the Oct. 12 initiation, pick-ups will continue every other Wednesday.

"We are always looking for ways to become more sustainable and take care of the environment and our campus," said Greg Block, associate director for NMSU Housing and Residential Life. "We saw this as a great way to contribute."

Like the city of Las Cruces program, the NMSU curbside recycling containers are "single stream," meaning residents don't have to separate cardboard from plastics or metals. Among acceptable recyclable materials are newspapers, magazines, cardboard, soda bottles, plastic tubs, aluminum cans and pots and pans.

The large blue containers will be distributed throughout other campus housing sectors including residence halls and apartment complexes over the next year, with the goal of all housing segments having the recycling containers before start of the next fall semester. Approximately 3,500 people live on campus at NMSU and Block said he hopes the recycling program will have a significant impact on reducing the city's waste.

Las Crucens have been able to take recyclables to designated sites run by South Central Solid Waste Authority since 2010 and the city residential curbside recycling program went into effect in April of this year. NMSU has been steadily increasing its recycling efforts since 2009, beginning with installing containers to collect recyclables in campus buildings and along walkways.

"We're looking forward to extending recycling initiatives and are always looking for the most efficient and effective ways to do so," Block said.