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Recycling
How to Recycle in Albuquerque
The Future of Recycling in Albuquerque
Mayor Chavez and the City are still working to increase recycling in Albuquerque.
In addition to recycling at home, here's more you can do:
Take Action
- Sign up to receive a presentation about Albuquerque's recycling and trash disposal programs. To schedule a presentation, call (505) 761-8334.
- Volunteer to help Keep Albuquerque Beautiful.
- Participate in America Recycles Day on November 15.
- Teach your kids about reusing, reducing, and recycling on Clean Sweep USA.
- Have something you don't know how to recycle? Read How to Recycle Practically Anything.
Did you know that you can recycle your old bicycle?
The Community Bike Recycling Program receives donated bicycles, refurbishes them, and distributes them to families who can't purchase bikes themselves!
Recipients are trained on bike safety, bike and tool maintenance, general health, and well being.
Each Albuquerque resident throws away nearly five pounds of trash every day, or almost one ton each year!
Recycling, along with reducing and reusing the trash we produce, is an important component in the effort to preserve our natural resources and reduce pollution.
How to Recycle
Newspaper, Magazines, Miscellaneous Paper Products:
- Use strong twine or rope, recycling bags, or small plastic shopping bags to contain newspaper. If you use plastic shopping bags, double bag to avoid spilling.
- Place remaining paper products in recycling bags.
- Clean and lightly rinse the containers.
- Remove and throw away lids, caps, and pumps - they are not recyclable.
- Labels don't need to be removed.
- Crush plastic bottles so that they take up less room in your recycling container.
- Use clear plastic recycling bags, small plastic shopping bags (double bag to avoid spilling or tie in a bundle) or a 19-gallon plastic bin to collect.
- Do not include plastic bags; clingwrap; toys; medical supplies; containers that held motor oil, solvents, paint, adhesives, pesticides, or herbicides; yogurt or margarine tubs, ice cream pails, flower pots, or garden plastic.
- Clean and lightly rinse the containers.
- Labels don't need to be removed.
- Use clear plastic recycling bags, small plastic shopping bags or a 19-gallon plastic bin to collect. If you use shopping bags, double bag them to avoid spilling.
Corrugated Cardboard:
- Flatten or fold clean corrugated cardboard and tie with strong twine or rope into bundles weighing less than 50 pounds.
- Bundles should be no more than 4x2 feet.
- Because of the potential for worker injury, glass is not collected curbside. However, you may drop your glass off at one of 12 city-wide Recycling Drop-Off sites.
Bicycles:
- Donate your unwanted bicycle to Albuquerque's Community Bike Recycling Program
Miscellaneous Items:
- What to do with non-recycleables
- What to do with your dead fluorescent bulbs
- What to do with hazardous waste like antifreeze, batteries, and nail polish remover
Where to Recycle
How Recycling Works
In Albuquerque, recyclable products are picked up from your curbside and from several drop-off locations and taken to the Intermediate Processing Facility (IPF), where they are sorted, baled, and prepared for sale.
Albuquerque sells its recyclables to manufacturers who use the material to create new products. For example, recycled newspaper is sold to a paper mill that processes the paper and then resells it to newspaper companies like the Albuquerque Publishing Company, which publishes the Albuquerque Journal and the Albuquerque Tribune!
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| Newspaper |
Cardboard |
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| Plastic | Tin |
Why Recycling Works
Recycling allows used goods to be reused in different forms later. Albuquerque's recycling program:
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Saves energy and prevents pollution caused by manufacturing products using raw materials
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Conserves natural resources such as wood, water, metal, and minerals
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Reduces the need for land filling
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Helps sustain the environment for future generations