After a three-year pause, Taos County has relaunched its recycling program. It. will offer northern New Mexico residents a local option for recycling while eliminating the need to travel to recycle. Edward Martinez, the county鈥檚 Solid Waste Director, spoke on the importance of the program鈥檚 return. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a big deal because so much waste going to the landfill, a lot of plastics, and a lot of aluminum, and cardboard, and a lot of stuff that could be recycled to bring in some revenue,鈥� he said.
The program was previously halted due to budget limitations, but with new state-funded balers through RAID grants, it鈥檚 back on track. The balers compact materials like cardboard into one-ton bales, producing 30 to 40 each month. Residents are encouraged to bring recyclables to any of the county鈥檚 eight transfer stations, where they sort the materials themselves to simplify the process. The county boasts a low contamination rate, which increases the value of recycled materials.
鈥淲e do recycle aluminum, cardboard, you know, corrugated cardboard, tin, metal, tires, and one of my stations, we do brush,鈥� Martinez explained. This effort not only brings in revenue but also extends the life of local landfills, reducing the need to send waste to other counties.