The state Environment Department and New Mexico Recycling Coalition have been awarded $3.5 million for projects like regional recycling facilities, according to Estancia Solid Waste Authority Manager Joseph Ellis.

Turns out, the Estancia Valley is one of the agencies' top picks as the home for a recycling facility.

"They want to create access to recycling to everybody in the state, and people in rural areas need it," Ellis said.

The location of the proposed facility is still up in the air, Ellis said, with Estancia and Moriarty in the running.

The facility would recycle plastics, cardboard, aluminum and more, she said.

The major issues are infrastructure and creating a market consortium to help get the best prices. A consortium works like a co-op, Ellis explained, to develop an effective recovery system and end markets for recycled material.

The Solid Waste Authority will have to apply for grant funding for the facility, so Ellis didn't have a specific timeline for the project.

Ellis briefed the board of the Solid Waste Authority last Wednesday on the project and other ongoing projects.

Also in the world of solid waste in the Estancia Valley: With help from a grant from the state Environment Department, some 83,000 tires were removed and recycled over the past year, Ellis said. Next to be cleaned up is illegal dumping in Willard, which will be completed in the spring with an $8,000 grant.

Also, there is the potential for new collaboration with the University of New Mexico, Ellis said.

UNM has contacted the Solid Waste Authority asking if it would help the college apply for a grant. The university hasn't decided what it would use the funding for, but one option is a mobile paper shredder that could be used among the agencies the Solid Waste Authority contracts with and UNM, Ellis said.