A brief history of recycling in Archuleta County
The recycling program was introduced to Pagosa Springs in May 1991 by Les Cameron, Nancy Green, and Clifford Lucero. Previously, we recycled glass (brown, green and clear), #2 plastic, aluminum and tin cans. All of this was done at the Archuleta County Transfer Station, and almost all of the materials collected were hauled to Denver, Colorado. Unfortunately, the program at that time was not successful.
In recent years, with the help and complete support of The Board of County Commissioners, the program was re-introduced. With the assistance of Gene Crabtree, Dennis Hunt, and the citizens of Archuleta County, the program has become very successful. To date, we have recycled almost 1,400 cubic yards (417 tons) of material. Currently, the cardboard, newspaper, junk mail and tin cans are being hauled to the Durango Recycling Center.
Aluminum is being hauled to Kirtland, New Mexico and sold. All of the proceeds from the sale are given back to the community in the form of "The Archuleta County Environmental Awareness Scholarship." A scholarship committee has been established from local community leaders, with participation from the Pagosa Springs High School staff.
This recycling program is funded through the sale of $1.00 recycle coupons. These coupons are used to dump household garbage at the Pagosa and Arboles Transfer Stations. One coupon is charged each time that a person disposes of their household waste at one of the transfer stations. The revenue from the sale of these coupons pays for the recycling attendant and offsets the expense of hauling the recycle material to the recycling centers.
The main reason this program is working so well can be attributed to:
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- Support of the Archuleta County Commissioners
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- Efforts of the Archuleta County Recycling Committee
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- Lester Rivas, our recycling attendant’s commitment to the program
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The Archuleta County Recycling Center is located at the Pagosa Transfer Station, two (2) miles south on County Road 500. The hours at the center are from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Tuesday through Sunday. The center is closed on Monday.
THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT AND FOR MAKING THIS PROGRAM A SUCCESS. |
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