Las Vegas Strip resorts have won praise for their recycling efforts, but a state analysis shows the rest of the Vegas area falls short of national recycling rates and has shown little signs of improvement since 2003. About 20% of waste produced in Clark County last year was recycled, according to the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection’s 2019 Waste and Reduction Report. That was nearly 10% lower than recycling rates in the Reno area and Carson City and well below the national recycling rate of 35%.
State lawmakers set a 25% recycling goal since 1991, but the rate has barely risen above 21% since 2003, the Sun found. The Las Vegas Sun reports that municipal contracts with the main waste-hauler in the region, Republic Services, only guarantee recycling service to single-family homes in Clark County.
That means that unless property owners make arrangements to recycle, there are no bins for paper, plastic and metals at apartment complexes, office buildings and businesses. Environment Nevada advocacy group chief Levi Kamolnick tells the newspaper that with massive landfills and decades of capacity available, it looks like recycling is not a priority for elected officials.