EL PASO, TEXAS (KFOX14\/CBS4) \u2014 City officials gathered on Tuesday to celebrate the opening of a new environmental services facility in Northeast El Paso, a site designed to make it easier and safer for residents to dispose of trash and recyclables.<\/p>\n
Officials on Tuesday held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Northeast Citizen Collection Station, located at 9171 Stahala Drive.<\/p>\n
The city said the facility replaces the area\u2019s previous trash-collecting site and offers a more convenient way for residents to properly dispose of waste and recyclable materials.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe’re trying to cut down on the illegal dumping in the alleyways and in the parkways. You know this is what the citizen collection stations are for, to bring your extra waste,\u201d said Nicholas Ybarra, director of El Paso Environmental Services.<\/p>\n
City officials said residents need a water bill and a matching ID with the same address to enter the facility.<\/p>\n
According to city officials, the station\u2019s new layout is intended to make unloading bulky items easier as residents will be able to drive onto an elevated platform and drop items into collection containers located below, instead of lifting heavy items up and over the sides of dumpsters.<\/p>\n
Officials also said the collection site includes a \u201ccountry store\u201d, where residents can donate or pick up gently used furniture, toys, and other household goods at no cost. <\/p>\n
The city said the program is meant to give usable items a second life to families in need, while reducing the amount of material sent to the landfill.<\/p>\n
RECOMMENDED: El Paso’s Adopt-A-Street program receives 37 applications in first month<\/a><\/p>\n