by Bryan Gibel
Daily Lobo
A state fire marshal order is hindering recycling efforts for the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, the department's chairman said.
"We've been forced to remove almost all of our recycling bins from Northrop Hall," John Geissman said. "Recycling efforts are becoming diminished because of this."
Geissman said bins were removed from hallways in Northrop Hall about a month ago because the fire marshal said they violated fire code.
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There was nowhere to put them that did not violate fire code, except the men's bathroom, he said. They were in the bathroom for a few days and were then moved again, he said.
Geissman said the building once had four sets of recycling bins but now has two.
One set is in a student lounge. The other set, used to recycle paper products, is outside the building.
Geissman said it is unacceptable to put recycling bins for paper
products outdoors.
"What happens in the event of a big storm? Everything turns to mush," he said. "Moreover, we know that everything at UNM that is not chained down ultimately
disappears."
Recycling bins and other obstructions were removed from hallways on campus as a safety precaution, said George Anastas, security officer for the UNM fire marshal.
"It's a universal requirement that exit corridors not have sofas, chairs, bookcases or anything that would obstruct egress in the event of a fire or other emergency," he said. "There's a lot of recycling at the University, so this is an important issue. But fire safety comes first."
There are hundreds of bins on campus, Anastas said. He said the fire marshal started relocating illegally placed bins in August and should be done before the spring semester begins.
No other department complained about the bin relocation, said Linda McCormick, manager of the UNM recycling department.
"There are still bins inside
offices," she said. "It's not like there is no access. It has simply changed location. Everybody has been very cooperative and understanding."
McCormick said there are still recycling bins for aluminum, glass and plastic in hallways that are wide enough to allow people to pass by without problems.
There are also large bins by the Student Resource Center, the Duck Pond, Smith Plaza, the Yale Mall bus stop and Popejoy Hall, she said.
McCormick said four more bins will be installed outside next year.
"We're always trying to make recycling more accessible for the faculty, staff and students on campus," she said. "Having to remove bins from building hallways is just a hiccup in the process."
Geissman said putting more bins outdoors is a step in the right direction, but it doesn't resolve the problem in Northrop Hall.
"The bottom line is we generate a lot of recyclable materials, and we're all for recycling," he said. "The situation is very discouraging because we don't have any other space to put the bins other than the hallways."
