San Luis to launch recycling program
2 neighborhoods will take part in yearlong study
SAN LUIS, Ariz. — Residents in two San Luis neighborhoods will begin recycling household waste next month as part of a pilot program to determine the feasibility of a citywide recycling program.
Beginning Sept. 6, a total of 720 families living in either the Los Alamos subdivision in northeast San Luis, or the Los Jardines development on the southwest side, will take part in the yearlong project aimed at determining how much waste the city would be able to recycle and how much it could save by extending the program to all neighborhoods.
Residents in the two areas are being asked to deposit plastics, plastic bags, newspaper, other paper, cardboard, aluminum cans and metal spray cans in recycling containers the city will provide to households.
Meeting recently with residents of the subdivisions to announce the project, city officials showed off several of the containers, which have blue lids that symbolize the practice of recycling.
“We need for all of you to do it and show that recycling can be done in San Luis, and so that we know exactly how much it’s going to cost us to process (recyclables),” Mayor Gerardo Sanchez told the gathering. “I believe it can be done, and you are part of the 720 families who are going to demonstrate it.”
Sanchez said the city officials have taken more than a year to prepare the launch of the program, which, he said, comes in response to repeated appeals by the public. He said one of the recurring questions the city hears is if Somerton and Yuma residents are already recycling, why can’t those in San Luis?
Sanchez said that if San Luis takes full advantage of the recycling program, the city could reduce its trash disposal costs, thereby holding off future trash collection fees charged homeowners.
Karen Marquez, a Los Alamos resident, said the pilot program not only could lead to savings for her family, but also serve as a valuable example for her children.
“To me, as a mother of two children, I really like the idea because now I can teach them about what is recyclable and what is not. Also it’s good because we will be able to see that new houses could be built for what we throw out. That is something that sticks in the minds of children.”
The program, she added, “is something innovating, that, even though a lot of people fear change, is something that will bring about good, because it’s going to help our environment. Everything has a benefit.”
San Luis Public Works Director Eulogio Vera says the city has been in talks with Somerton City Hall about bringing recyclable materials to Somerton’s recycling plant for processing. Another option, he said, is contracting with the company that provides recycling services for the City of Yuma.
Vera estimated that more than 30 percent of what San Luis residents now throw out as trash could be set aside for recycling. But, he said that percentage could be even greater if all residents make the effort to separate household waste that is recyclable from what is not.
He said a public education campaign will be needed to inform residents about benefits of recycling and about what materials can be recycled. With each recycling container the city is providing residents in the two areas, it is also handing out flyers about items that can be recycled.