Keep New Mexico Beautiful Awards Carrizozo Post Office Recycling Grant

Lincoln County has made the Keep New Mexico Beautiful [KNMB] grant program "Winners Circle" again. Late last week, KNMB announced award of an $800 grant to underwrite the Carrizozo Post Office Recycling Project. The award will purchase a three cubic yard blue recycling collection dumpster as well as lobby containers for postal patrons. The award is the third consecutive grant in support of Greentree Solid Waste Authority and regional Post Office efforts at increasing recycling for postal patrons. The project is expected to steadily increase the amount of mixed paper recycling of all kinds in the region. Establishment of Post Office recycling has been a long-term goal of the Carrizozo Community Recycling Committee.

Similar projects funded by KNMB or the New Mexico Recycling Coalition [Capitan] have been underway for some time in Capitan, Alto and Ruidoso Downs. Corona post office lobby recycling has been on-going for several years. While lobby recycling is not available in Ruidoso, recycling of discarded or unwanted mail items by postal employees takes place at the Ruidoso and Hollywood Station post offices thanks to outdoor recycling container placement by the Village of Ruidoso Solid Waste Department.

Keep New Mexico Beautiful has worked for more than 40 years with communities and organizations around New Mexico to improve their surroundings and promote civic pride. KNMB grants may be used for "hands on" projects, trash cleanup, creation/expansion of recycling facilities, and provision of trash receptacles. Each year Keep New Mexico Beautiful awards grants to exemplary schools, villages, municipalities, chambers of commerce, organizations, and government agencies. Grants are made for solid waste management and litter control activities; native landscaping and beautification activities; and educational activities. Funded projects promote the mission of KNMB by being good community stewards in environmental projects of recycling, litter control, water conservation and beautification.

Postal patrons can recycle any discarded or unwanted mail in lobby recycling containers before leaving the Post Office. Although any paper items can be recycled, patrons are cautioned not to recycle anything with sensitive personal information such as social security numbers in lobby containers.

For more information on Post Office recycling, the Solid Waste Authority office at 378-4697, toll free at 1-877-548-8772 or via email at gswa@greentreeswa.org. General recycling information is available on the Authority website at www.greentreeswa.org.