Tara Pike

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UNLV Sustainability Coordinator/Recycling Manager
Expertise: Recycling, Sustainability, Environment

Biography

Tara Pike, sustainability coordinator and manager of the UNLV Recycling Program, is an expert on waste reduction, recycling, and resource management on campus.

Since joining UNLV in the 1990s as an environmental studies undergraduate, Pike has championed green living. She founded the Rebel Recycling Program in 1995, and has led efforts that increase environmental awareness at UNLV and throughout Southern Nevada. Since 2003, Pike's program has recycled more than 5,600 tons of material on campus.

Pike also serves as Vice President of Campus Race to Zero Waste, a partnership with the National Wildlife Federation that teaches universities how to reduce or eliminate waste.

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environment, social issues, sustainability

Tara Pike In The News

Recycle your Christmas tree to keep it out of landfills
K.S.N.V. T.V. News 3
Many people keep their Christmas trees up until after the New Year, but there's an eco-friendly way to dispose of them. Recycling your real tree can help keep it out of landfills. Tara Pike from UNLV's Facilities Management shared more about this initiative.
Las Vegas recycling programs give Christmas trees new life after the holidays
K.T.N.V. T.V. ABC 13
The holidays may be winding down, but what happens to your Christmas tree could give it a whole new life. As families across Las Vegas begin taking down their holiday decorations, sustainable options are available to ensure Christmas trees don't end up in landfills.
Where to recycle your Christmas tree in Las Vegas
Las Vegas Weekly
Through January 15, the Southern Nevada Christmas Tree Recycling Committee is hosting more than 30 free drop-off locations. The trees are turned into mulch used for gardens and parks across the Valley.  
Don’t toss your Christmas tree, Las Vegas. UNLV wants to turn it into mulch
Las Vegas Review Journal
When the smell of pine begins to fade this holiday season, UNLV has an easy solution for Southern Nevadans. Tara Pike, UNLV’s sustainability coordinator, said the university and its partners will be ready to collect Christmas trees as soon as Friday through Jan. 15.
All Tara Pike In The News

Articles Featuring Tara Pike

Annual Southern Nevada Christmas Tree Recycling Effort Begins Dec. 26
UNLV logo on snowflake ornament
Business and Community | December 18, 2025

For three decades, UNLV and community organizations have hosted program to turn Christmas trees into mulch for local parks and residents; nearly 10,000 trees recycled in 2024.
 

UNLV Newsmakers 2024: September
Undergrad researcher Benjamin Sabir helps H. Jeremy Cho examine an atmospheric water harvesting device. (Jeff Scheid/UNLV)
Campus News | October 1, 2024

A monthly roundup of the top news stories featuring UNLV staff and students.

All Articles Featuring Tara Pike