NM sees recycling boost

NM sees recycling boost

By Editorial Staff, Resource Recycling

An analysis by the New Mexico Recycling Coalition has found that access to recycling has significantly increased over the last four years in the Land of Enchantment.

The organization's analysis [1] found that between 2007 and 2011, the number of drop-off sites increased by 81 percent from 102 to 185. According to the NMRC, a majority of communities in the state have access to drop-off sites as their primary means of recycling.

At least 87 incorporated municipalities and tribal communities provide recycling opportunities for most household recyclables, such as cardboard, mixed paper, aluminum cans, tin cans and No. 1 and 2 plastic bottles, according to the NMRC. Fourteen communities have curbside collection programs. In 2004, only 37 communities had access to recycling services, and the most recently created drop-offs have been set up in rural communities, according to the NMRC.

Increased access to recycling in the state mirrors a similar pattern in the state's recycling rate. New Mexico's recycling rate has risen by 66 percent, increasing from 9.74 percent in 2006 to its most recent rate of 16.2 percent reported for 2010, according to the NMRC citing numbers from the New Mexico Environment Department.

"This increase in access to recycling means that recycling is here to stay in New Mexico," said English Bird, NMRC executive director, in a prepared statement who also noted that the state has made considerable investments in recycling in previous years.

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