[FRIAM] Santa Fe Folks : Recycling Carts

[Nick Thompson]

Owen, 

 

Provincial is one thing; unintelligible to someone who lives a half a mile down the hill is quite another!

 

Can you translate this for me?  Really?  No glass?  And cardboard in two places?  

 

I didn’t understand about the St. Johns Site.  Are we all honorary neighbors of St. Johns, or just you.   Do matters become clearer if I sign up for the site? 

 

Nick 

 

Nicholas S. Thompson

Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Biology

Clark University

 <http://home.earthlink.net/~nickthompson/naturaldesigns/> http://home.earthlink.net/~nickthompson/naturaldesigns/

 

From: Friam [mailto:friam-bounces at redfish.com] On Behalf Of Owen Densmore
Sent: Wednesday, February 08, 2017 6:55 PM
To: Complexity Coffee Group <friam at redfish.com>
Subject: [FRIAM] Santa Fe Folks : Recycling Carts

 

Sorry to be provincial, but though this Nextdoor announcement might be useful to locals:

 

https://saintjohnscollege.nextdoor.com/news_feed/?post=42343475 <https://saintjohnscollege.nextdoor.com/news_feed/?post=42343475&s=&is=npe&ct=36sdSlzeamiOJxqMpMbqLEaAP7xgpM6cPRR3uQT0Nhf_8cXKwaSt4syinUd_MMl4&mobile_deeplink_data=action%3Dview_post%26post%3D42343475&link_source_user_id=14149504> &s=&is=npe&ct=36sdSlzeamiOJxqMpMbqLEaAP7xgpM6cPRR3uQT0Nhf_8cXKwaSt4syinUd_MMl4&mobile_deeplink_data=action%3Dview_post%26post%3D42343475&link_source_user_id=14149504

 


 <https://saintjohnscollege.nextdoor.com/news_feed/?post=42343475> Automated Recycling Questions Answered (I hope!)


 <https://saintjohnscollege.nextdoor.com/profile/13148043> Outreach Coordinator Adam Schlachter from  <https://saintjohnscollege.nextdoor.com/agency/14929972/> City of Santa Fe Environmental Services · 2h ago


If you haven’t yet heard, Santa Fe’s recycling program is changing this coming March. Automated recycling carts will be delivered starting March 13th, replacing the old style bins that Santa Fe has used for the last 20 years. It will take approximately three (3) weeks to get the entire City switched over to carts and we are working on the distribution plan as we speak! With the new carts come some other changes to the program. We have outlined the new recycling information below: 

What can I recycle curbside when I get my new cart? 

So much can be recycled at the curb in Santa Fe! Paper, cardboard, boxboard, plastic containers, aluminum cans, steel cans, and cartons can all be mixed together in your cart. Before long you may notice you have much more in your recycling cart than in your trash cart; that’s what we like to see! Place your recyclables loose in your cart (empty containers and bottles and replace caps/lids, flatten boxes); it really is that easy to make a difference that matters. 

Unfortunately, glass will no longer be accepted curbside after the new program begins. We will provide recycling collection centers around town to accept glass, as wells as cardboard and mixed recycling. 

Do I need to separate anything else? 

Once you have your cart, there is no need to separate anything accepted for curbside collection, just empty containers and bottles then replace caps/lids, flatten boxes, and you are good to go. It’s that easy! 

Remember that glass is not accepted in the curbside recycling mix. Take your glass to a recycling collection center. 

Why can’t I put glass in my cart? 

Our processor does not accept glass in the single-stream mix, nor they do they have the equipment required at their MRF. The closest facilities that could process single stream recycling w/glass were in Colorado and using either one of them would have cost several million dollars. Additionally, the cost of running two (2) routes, automated for mixed recycling and manual for glass, would also have added significant costs. Ultimately recycling collection centers made the best economic sense for Santa Fe residents. 

So what happens to the glass we take to the recycling collection centers? Will it get recycled? 

Yes! All of the glass that City residents drop-off at the recycling collection centers will be recycled here in Santa Fe. The Solid Waste Management Agency crushes the glass and it is made available locally for landscaping, used in regional construction projects and sold to a manufacturing company in Albuquerque that makes products from recycled glass. 

What should I do with my old recycling bin(s)? 

We encourage residents to use their old recycling bins to transport glass to the recycling collection centers. If you don’t need or want your bins, you can place them into your cart where they will be recycled or you can drop them off at our offices on Siler Road where we will repurpose or recycle them. 

How are all the items in my cart separated for recycling? 

Modern facilities that sort recycling are called Materials Recovery Facilities (MRF), and they use mechanical sorting equipment that separates each type of material in the mix; this is commonly referred to as “single-stream” recycling. Once these materials are separated, they are baled and sold to recyclers and manufacturers that use them to create new materials. 

Please don't hesitate to reach out if you still have questions.

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