Tucson Rodeo recycling with help from Rotary club

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — One of the Rotary clubs here in Tucson is adding an extra 'R' to the phrase "reduce, reuse, recycle": Rodeo!

For the second year in a row, the club has brought recycling stations to the Tucson Rodeo. This year, in just two days, the club collected more recycling than they did in four days last year.

Michelle Felix, the co-chair of Service Projects for the Rotary club, credits the uptick in the way they made the stations.

"It's fun to see the youth do it," she said. "It's like a game for the kids. It's gamified! They want to put the recyclables in the proper area."

Felix and the Rotary club set up three cans at each station. The first is for trash. Each trash can is accompanied by two blue bins donated by Tucson Environmental Services: one labeled "Plastics" and one labeled "Cans."

Some rodeo-goers were surprised to see these stations set up around the grounds. First-time rodeo attendee Gary Winthorpe said this wasn't what he expected to see at a rodeo.

“The fact that they have recycling bins is something," he said. "I think that’s great for the environment. It’s a big event so it brings a lot of people and a lot of people just throw stuff willy-nilly, and they don’t really care but recycling is important.”

Felix said that overall, the reception to these recycling stations is positive.

“You see people, they come by, they put it in there, we thank them and they thank us. They’re really happy we’re doing this," she said.

The recycled plastics are going to the city for a project where it will be turned into building blocks. The cans will also be given to the city in exchange for money which Felix says will be matched by Rotary International and donated to a local charity. Though she and her club haven't chosen the charity, she says it will be focused on the environment.