High Schools everywhere use paper all day long, an average school in the U.S. uses upwards of 2,000 sheets of paper every day, that’s 320,000 sheets of paper in one school year! As of right now, there are no recycling clubs or programs at PVHS, It’s up to the teachers to decide if they want a recycling bin in their classroom or not, but even then, it’s also up to them to make sure the contents get recycled. How can we find ways to recycle here in Pahrump and how do we make it more accessible?

As of right now, the Nye County School District (NCSD) does not have any programs or clubs that encourage and help students with recycling in the schools. As stated, it’s up to the teachers to decide if they want to put a recycling bin in their classroom or not, but not many teachers at Pahrump Valley High School do. There are two large recycling bins in the back of the high school, where the other waste bins are located, but students cannot access these bins during school hours unless a teacher or staff member is present. These two bins get emptied once a week and those are the only recycling bins for the whole school! Think of all the paper and plastic that’s being thrown into the garbage bins at PVHS, with the 1300 students that attend, you know there has to be quite the load. 

In Nevada, there were goals set for the amount of recycling that is done. In 1991, the Nevada Legislature set the recycling goal at 25%, but Nevada has not met that goal since 2013, staying at a steady 20-22% ever since. The requirements for recycling programs are different based on population ranges, according to the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Division of Environmental Protection “Clark and Washoe counties are required to have source separation, recycling centers, and household hazardous waste collection programs. Douglas, Elko, Lyon, and Carson City – which have smaller populations – must maintain programs that establish recycling centers and handle household hazardous waste.” There aren’t many different ways to recycle in Nye County. There are two drop-off spots for the whole town, Pahrump Valley Disposables, which is located at 1410 E. Mesquite Avenue, and at the Wal-Mart Shopping Center at 300 S. Hwy. 160.

Although recycling is not very accessible not only at PVHS, but in Nye County as a whole, we should encourage our teachers, family, and friends to get creative and find new ways to recycle. Recycling conserves energy, reduces air and water pollution, conserves natural resources, and so much more. Get in touch with C&S Waste Solutions (Pahrump Valley Disposable)  to find out how you can be more waste-wise and how you can do your part with recycling in Pahrump at (775) 727-5777.