News

LAS CRUCES – Garbage day will be getting a bit more expensive. That’s because the Las Cruces City Council unanimously voted to raise residential and commercial garbage pickup rates at its Monday meeting. The rate increase takes effect in a month, Assistant Utilities Director Delilah Walsh told the council. The rate hike was postponed twice, in March and in April, due to the growing economic downturn resulting from the COVID-19 public health emergency. Months later, most New Mexico businesses still cannot operate at full capacity and thousands are still out of work. Expanded federal unemployment benefits, which added an extra $600 a week on top of unemployedRead More →

Starting July 1, the fee for your blue curbside recycling bin is going up 35 cents per month for residential customers, from $6.65 to $7. Blue bins are for accepted recyclables only and are emptied every other week. If you are not sure of your recycling days, it’s easy and free to sign up for Recycle Coach by visiting www.SCSWA.net. With Recycle Coach you receive a text message the afternoon before your bin is scheduled to be picked up; it’s a quick reminder to take your blue bin to the curb. The big issue with recycling continues to be contamination. Las Cruces contamination rate isRead More →

By Cassie McClure and Suzanne Michaels It’s a strange time to start a new job in public outreach, when social distancing keeps us “distant”. But Peter Ibarbo, new Education & Outreach Coordinator for the South Central Solid Waste Authority (SCSWA), is optimistic and hit the ground running… even if the path doesn’t quite put him in front of his audience, yet. “We will use every outreach resource available with social media, website updates and new targeted signage to connect with customers about solid waste issues throughout Doña Ana County, including sustaining and growing our recycling program,” said Ibarbo. “We also want a 2-way conversation withRead More →

For most of us across the state of New Mexico, we have a recycling bin that is picked up each week by our city or county facilities. This bin is meant to hold a variety of items that vary by location, but the list typically includes plastics, paper and metal. Unfortunately, there still seems to be confusion not only on what can be recycled, but the right way to recycle it. Not recycling adds items to the landfill. Recycling incorrectly can add even more. It also causes costly errors to the recycling process because food waste, items that cannot be recycled, and trash contaminate loadsRead More →

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The Rio Grande Recycling Corridor is a group made up of recycling and solid waste agencies from Las Cruces to Santa Fe. They recently launched a multi-faceted public education “Know What to Throw” campaign teaching New Mexicans how to recycle. As part of the campaign, the group released their version of myth busters to dispel misbeliefs about what it takes to recycle and what you can recycle. KRQE News 13 anchor David Romero spoke with the executive director of the Rio Grande Recycling Coalition, Sarah Pierpont, and director of the South Central Solid Waste Authority, Patrick Peck to discuss the campaign.Read More →

At the Corralitos Regional Landfill, a big “Shark” is laying waste to a very tiring stacked eyesore: thousands of used tires. The South Central Solid Waste Authority (SCSWA) has rented a TANA Shark shredder, which is ripping its way through the old trashed tires set aside at the landfill. “Scrap tires are problematic. Stacked against a building or scattered across the desert, they become a breeding ground for mosquitos with the least amount of rain,” said Miguel Fernandez, SCSWA program administrator. “When landfilled, the whole tires tend to rise back to the surface of the solid waste, so we shred them. The shreds then haveRead More →

News Brief For Immediate Release: March 31, 2020 Contact: Patrick Peck, Director, SCSWA, (575) 528-3800 Essential Businesses Only! Governor’s Mandate requires SCSWA to Restrict Public Access In order to comply with the New Mexico Governor’s Stay at Home Public Health Emergency Order at https://cv.nmhealth.org/stay-at-home-essential-businesses/  the general public will see restricted hours and closures at solid waste/recycling facilities during the COVID-19 outbreak in Las Cruces and Doña Ana County. Until further notice, only essential businesses are allowed to dispose of trash at the Amador Avenue Transfer Station – 2865 Amador Ave., Las Cruces Chaparral Collection and Recycling Center – 180 McCombs Road, Chaparral Businesses wanting toRead More →

New Mexico: Know What to Throw By Cassie McClure and Suzanne Michaels The South Central Solid Waste Authority (SCSWA), in partnership with the New Mexico Recycling Coalition (NMRC) and the entire Rio Grande Recycling Corridor, has launched a statewide recycling education campaign geared to teach New Mexicans how to recycle right by urging them to “Know What to Throw.” “There are many misconceptions about what can and can’t be recycled, and a view that it’s complicated,” said Patrick Peck, SCSWA director. “Our goal is to set the record straight. Recycling right is simple, and with a few easy tips, every New Mexican can ensure they’reRead More →