Keep Rio Rancho Beautiful recently received a gift it can use again and again.

The New Mexico Recycling Coalition recently awarded 1,250 recycling bins to 17 communities and organizations throughout the state. The bins, donated to NMRC by the National Recycling Coalition and Alcoa Recycling Company, will be placed in a variety of settings where bins had not previously been available, including schools, Indian lands, government and office buildings and low-income communities. The recycling bin grant, which was open to NMRC’s 260 members, invited members to submit applications for the 22-gallon lidless recycling bins.

KRRB received 84 recycling bins to place in public schools within Rio Rancho that have a recycling program or environmental club but lack recycling containers. Santo Domingo tribe also received 84 bins to collect aluminum cans at service stations, the tribe’s health clinic, school and tribal offices. Additionally, the tribe is planning on starting a curbside collection program for residents. On average, 33 percent of the national waste stream (aggregate flow of waste material of from generation to treatment to final disposition) is recycled, while New Mexico only diverts 11 percent of its waste stream from landfills. The NMRC is hoping that the donation of these bins will help make recycling more accessible to New Mexicans.

“It’s amazing how something as simple as a well-marked recycling bin can positively affect a community’s recycling program,” said Sarah Pierpont, NMRC’s deputy director. “Most people know that recycling saves energy, water and natural resources, and they want to do the right thing. It’s just a matter of making recycling convenient and easy.”

Working with the state affiliates of the NRC, Alcoa provided approximately 25,000 recycling bins across the country.

“Alcoa greatly appreciates the role of NRC and the state recycling organizations in promoting recycling,” said Greg Wittbecker, director of corporate recycling strategy for Alcoa. “We gain the opportunity to work with the states, which can quickly identify locations where recycling bins can do the most good. To save energy and address climate change, we all depend on the decisions of consumers everywhere to recycle rather than throw away these precious resources. Alcoa is pleased to be part of the effort that makes it possible.”