Every year, the University of New Mexico recycles over one thousand tons of material. According to Sustainability Manager Mary Clark, that makes UNM the second largest recycling facility statewide.
“We generally receive very positive feedback from the UNM community,” Recycling Supervisor Scott George said. “We are continually making changes to improve our effectiveness and efficiency.”
UNM recycles glass, plastic, paper, cardboard, metal, E-waste, batteries, toner cartridges, light bulbs and wood pallets, George said. Recycle bins are located across campus, indoors and outdoors, and are emptied Monday through Friday.
He said the group will complete a refurbishing project on all outdoor recycling bins and add new indoor recycling bins later this semester.
George said that once materials are collected, they are taken to a recycling facility on North Campus where they are separated, baled and sent to another facility in the city or a larger recycling company elsewhere.
Clark said some of UNM’s reusables are resold to support the Recycling Department.
Joseph Padilla, a junior mechanical engineering major, is pursuing a minor in Sustainability Studies. Despite the amount of recycling UNM achieves annually, he said he still notices littering or disposing of recyclable materials into trash receptacles.
“The campus does a great job making these receptacles readily available in nearly every building, but it becomes a little scattered once you step outside,” he said.
Clark said the department would be able to add more receptacles if more staff members were available.
Unfortunately, many individuals place plastic bags, food scraps, tissues, napkins, paper and other non-recyclables into recycle bins.
“The real question is how much (and) why do people put recyclables in trash cans?” George said.
The answer: laziness, according to Clark and Padilla.
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"(Some) may not feel that going out of their way to recycle something is having that much of an impact, especially when a general trash can is right in front of them as they are thinking this,” Padilla said.
Students in particular seem to be very rushed individuals, Padilla said, noting he is also, at times, guilty of not recycling as much as he could due to the inconvenience of having to seek a recycling bin.
He said he also feels that many items are not recycled because students may not pack their lunches ahead of time, causing them to purchase foods packaged with paper/plastic, which are unrecyclable once they contact food.
Padilla said he’d like to see a campus-wide campaign informing what can and cannot be recycled, where receptacles are located and the addition of more recycling bins. While recycling can help decrease the rapid loss of finite resources, it can also reduce extractive activities worldwide, he said, which would decrease carbon emissions that lead to the warming of our planet and the acidification of our oceans.
“I’m not saying that recycling is what is going to save the world from global warming, but I think it is a start in the right direction to slowing down our arrival at that outcome,” he said.
Clark said she hopes to eventually see recycling affect the way products are made. She hopes to see more biodegradable items rather than plastic. Because plastic is difficult to recycle, she asks visitors, staff and students to consider bringing in things like reusable utensils, water bottles and coffee cups from home.
In his lifetime, George said he hopes to see more participation from consumers in restoring the natural environment.
“The UNM community should be proud that campus recycling has steadily increased,” George said. “We have a dedicated group of staff, faculty and students who are tuned in to what is happening locally and globally and are always working toward increasing awareness of environmental issues and participation in efforts to reduce, reuse and recycle.”
Padilla said if people begin to think of recycling less as a chore and more as the right thing to do, more people might do it on a regular basis. He said he made this realization himself when he became a parent and was contemplating the legacy he would leave behind for his children and grandchildren.
“I think the most important thing to do when talking about sustainability and climate change is to realize that we are all part of the problem,” Padilla said. “Our actions and inaction facilitate the world we live in. I think once we realize this, we can take the appropriate steps to bettering ourselves and our surroundings. We are all stuck on this rock together; the least we can do is make it as hospitable as possible.”
Elizabeth Sanchez is a reporter for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at news@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @Beth_A_Sanchez.
