By KIRSTEN LASKEYRecycling can be a tricky business. It is easy to wonder which bin an item should be tossed into or if it can even go into a recycling bin.
The Los Alamos County Environmental Services Division is attempting to make the process easier with a new resource. This week, the ESD rolled out a new app and website platform, called Recycle Coach.
The Recycle Coach app can be downloaded from Google Play or the Apple Store, ESD Senior Office Specialist Joshua Levings said.
Residents can sign up for real-time notifications and reminders about when to set out the yard trimming or recycle roll cart. Notifications are also helpful for special holiday collection schedules, Environmental Services Manager Angelica Gurule said.
Using the ‘What Goes Where’ search tool, users can turn to Recycle Coach to find out what can or can not be recycled. Furthermore, they can check the schedules for trash, recycling and yard waste pick up. The app also will provide notifications when there are changes to trash collection schedules and it provides links to various articles regarding waste, Levings said.
The County has a service agreement with Recycle Coach and it is free to all users.
“It is a really good resource because people have a lot of questions about recycling,” he said, and the app will be able to answer those questions.
In addition to helping users answer their questions, the app should help with reducing the Los Alamos County contamination rate and the amount of items going into the recycle bin that can’t be recycled.
Currently, the local contamination rate is 17 percent, which is far better than the national average of 30 percent.
“One hope we have is that it will help reduce contamination and help our community recycle right,” Levings said. “We’re hoping it helps make recycling less confusing. I think (the app and website platform) will really help because when you pull up an item it will tell what to do with it.”
The best thing about Recycle Coach, Levings said, is that it is easy to use.
Environmental Sustainability Board Member and Zero Waste Team Member Sue Barns said, “Our residents care about recycling right, and Recycle Coach provides them with all the information they need, right in their pockets! Being on the ESB, I get asked nearly every day to clarify some issue about recycling. Can I recycle this? Does it go in the blue bin, or should I bring it to the Eco Station? Caps on or caps off? So many questions! And now, residents can get the answer they need, right when they need it. I love that it will also remind folks to reuse or rehome (donate) usable items, rather than sending to the landfill. That’s so important, and so often we forget that possibility.”
She added, “Another area of confusion seems to be when to set out the blue versus brown roll carts. Recycle Coach will tell you and remind you to do it! And, for those who aren’t into phone apps, it’s also available through a web browser.”
For more information, visit https://www.losalamosnm.us/government/departments/public_works/environmental_services_division.
