Hotel students get trash talk

By Timothy Pratt (contact)

Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2002 | 9:14 a.m.

On Tuesday morning, about 30 University of Nevada, Las Vegas students, some of whom will one day become managers at the hotels within view of the campus, took a half-hour from their busy schedule to hear about garbage.

The occasion was a tour of the university's recycling program, which was given an award from the federal government for its efforts to save the environment in a community that otherwise has a poor track record in reducing trash.

Clark County residents recycle only 4 percent of their garbage, much less than the 25 percent a 1991 state mandate recommended. But the UNLV Rebel Recycling Center, run by former student Tara Pike, has been saving the university thousands of dollars while reducing waste since 1995.

The lesson was not lost on at least some of the students.

"Where there's people there's always going to be trash, and there could be programs for people at events in hotels and casinos to recycle," said Jessica Jose, first-semester student of Hotel Management 101, who wants to manage entertainment at a property on the Strip.

"People don't think that this is part of managing a hotel-casino, since they only think about making money," she said. "But it should be a part of it."

Pike made the connection between garbage and money clear to the students.

"As managers, you're going to have to look at your solid waste stream and figure out how to save money," she said.

A recycling company official at the tour said hotels go much further than locals when it comes to recycling.

James Combs, of R.C. Farms/Waste Management, who worked with Rebel Recycling until late 2001 and currently has contracts with 14 hotels, said some Strip properties such as Bellagio and The Venetian recycle up to 50 percent of their total waste.

"They don't do it out of the goodness of their hearts but because it affects their bottom line by saving them some money," said Clint Combs, also of the family-owned company.

"This should be publicized more," said Robert Combs. "The world comes here for tourism, but it could also be known for the recycling on the Strip."

Pike, who was given the U.S Environmental Protection Agency's Environmental Merit Award after the morning's tour, said several former hotel management students have asked about setting up recycling programs in their professional lives.

She has been giving the tours since 1999.

"One person making a difference is what you can all do," said Wayne Nastri, administrator for the Pacific Southwest regional EPA office.