Jack Jenkins is a heavy equipment operator at the new Chaparral Transfer Station and Recycling Center who says, “Yesterday we sent five 18-wheel trailers out of here loaded with solid waste and heading for Corralitos Regional Landfill. More and more customers are coming into the Chaparral facility every day.”
“We opened five and half months ago; the number of customers using the new facility is growing rapidly as they discover how convenient and inexpensive it is to dump trash here,” agrees Rafael Leos, Deputy Director at the South Central Solid Waste Authority (SCSWA).
Saturday, November 18th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., in honor of America Recycles Day, the SCSWA is hosting an Open House at the Chaparral Transfer Station and Recycling Center.
The event will also be a “Trash Amnesty Day”, meaning Chaparral residents can bring in their trash FREE during those hours. To drop off trash at no charge, Chaparral residents must show proof of residency with a current utility-type bill and a photo ID.
The SCSWA will have equipment from other operations on display to show recycling and solid waste services with a large outdoor lineup including:
• drop-off glass crushing and recycling,
• the green waste chipper,
• the tire shredder,
• a haul truck with a walking-floor trailer, and
• an automated side-loader curbside trash truck.
Guests are invited to walk through the outdoor displays and SCSWA staff will be there to answer any questions. All guests can enjoy an SCSWA outreach information table with handouts and burritos, soft drinks, and a water station to refill water bottles. Keep Doña Ana County Beautiful will be there also providing information to the community.
The Chaparral operation is a model for future facilities being planned for Doña Ana County to meet the solid waste and recycling needs from Sunland Park to Hatch, NM. Customers do not need County punch cards before bringing trash and recyclables; this facility can accept cash, checks and credit cards right at the gate when customers come through. Seven days a week, residents can pay $5 plus tax to bring in up to 200 pounds of household trash. Trash is also accepted from commercial haulers, saving them miles of hauling to get to other facilities, much farther away.
The Chaparral Transfer Station and Recycling Center is open 7 days a week: 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday – 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends. Recyclables are always accepted without charge.
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.