by Ella Scott
We all know that recycling here in Gallup has been a rocky road, even for the most die-hard of participants. Recyclers in Gallup have exerted many an hour trying to keep updated on which location is taking what recyclable and when. Ever-changing maps have been made in an effort to keep track of how to find these locations. Then, just to top it all off, the bottom fell out of the market rendering the prices for bulk recyclables next to nothing and making even the most recent maps of drop-off sites null and void as shops stopped taking recyclables. Sigh . . . back to square one again.
Slowly, however, things have started to pick back up. This is why many entities locally have been working hard for quite some time to develop a one-stop model of a recycling center for Gallup and our surrounding region. We are happy now to be able to inform you that all the hard work has paid off – we have recently opened the first step towards a complete one-stop model with the Northwest New Mexico Solid Waste Authority, open Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays 10 am – 4 pm. Only problem is: it’s barely being used! Now is your chance to recycle – the groundwork has been laid, and now it’s up to us to make sure it builds as a solid foundation. And the only way for us to do that is to drag out our old recycling bins, set them up in the garage, and start collecting!
Here’s what you can save and recycle:
Corrugated Cardboard
Tin
Aluminum
Electronic Waste
Scrap Metal
Newspaper
White Office Paper
Mixed Paper Products
Phonebooks
Right now these are the materials that are being taken because there is a market for them, and we have been able to find bulk buyers. And good news – within the next month we hope to be able to start taking plastics! We were able to find a buyer and are working out the details as we speak. The sticking point for us with recyclables has really been glass. The market price on it is incredibly low and glass is heavy. Heavy enough to not make it worth anyone’s gas money to come and truck it away to be reused . . . yet. Don’t worry; we’ve got our eyes on it.
Happily, glass is one of the easiest items to reuse in your home. One of the best steps you can take towards recycling on your own is by reusing materials. Glass jars quickly become vases, cups, storage containers, paint pots, and a million other things thought up exactly to serve you and your family’s purposes. Reusing items is the step that comes before recycling. And you know what? We’re not too bad at that step around here. Once you start looking for ‘trash’ items being reused and resold in new ways, you will find them everywhere from the Makeshift Gallery to Another Man’s Treasure to the Flea Market. Even second-hand clothing gives new life to another person’s discarded items!
Besides reuse, there’s another major step that you can take to reduce your waste and recycling material – composting. Weeds, small branches, leaves, food scraps (no meat or dairy though please!), and other biodegradable material can all be combined to make some really great compost that can then be used on your garden and your plants will love it. This is Gallup, I know – What plants? What garden? But trust me, all plants love and need compost and the more we can get into our soils, the better they will be for growing. And hey, stop and take a look around, there are gardens growing around town. From backyard gardens to community gardens, folks are making it work, and they are probably not doing it without compost. At the very least, it’s a great way to keep green waste out of our landfill, and if you don’t want it for your garden, your neighbor will!
Currently, the first steps are being taken to establish an officially designated compost facility in Gallup. Nothing big, nothing fancy, but a place where green waste can be dropped off and reused without building up in our landfill. The way this works with the NM Environment Department is that you register your site and then are on probation for a year – this means no materials from the public, but solely developing and using compost in-house to prove that you are capable. Right now, the way this is being done is by diverting the bedding and manure from Red Rock Park, post-rodeo season, and turning it into compost to be used in the community garden spaces around town. Right now, you can thank the Youth Conservation Corps and all their shovels for this, and then you can turn right around in the spring and reap the gardens’ rewards at the Gallup Farmers’ Market.
Clearly, there are many ways to get involved with recycling, and there’s a lot of good momentum developing around it locally. Recycling outreach happens at all different levels. As an individual you can take the initiative in your own household. The next step is to reach out to your workplace or office, your school, your neighborhood, or any other place that you are involved with regularly. Encourage other folks to save their recyclables from the landfill and lead by example! Now is as good a time as any to start.
In fact, it’s better. November is New Mexico Recycles Month and Gallup is recognizing it by holding a celebratory and educational event at the Gallup Transfer Station for America Recycles Day. McKinley Citizen’s Recycling Council has planned a day of music, food, activities, and recycling to get everyone informed and oriented on the new recycling center. Come one, come all, and bring your recyclables as we join together in caring and taking ownership of our home.
What: America Recycles Day
Where: NWNM SWA Gallup Transfer Station
107 Hassler Valley Rd.
(1 mile East of the intersection at Maloney & the Ford/Miyamura Overpass)
When: Saturday, November 6, 10 am – 2 pm
For information on recycling in your area, contact Betsy Windisch at (505) 722-9257 or (505) 879-2581.
This is SO helpful – thanks!