We are pleased to announce that Mayor Martin J. Chávez has added an incentive for you and your family to earn rewards for recycling. Not only will the City make it easy for you to recycle and positively impact the environment, but we will make sure you get rewarded for doing it.

The week of December 29th you will be eligible to earn rewards for your recycling efforts with the RecycleBank Rewards program. The more that is recycled, the more RecycleBank Points your household earns.   Click here for more information!

PHASE III

The following four areas have been added to the recycle cart pilot  program.  Residents in those areas are eligible to receive a 65-gallon, City-issued blue recycle cart to use for recycling.    The areas are as follows:

1.  If your trash is collected every Tuesday and you live, North of Menaul, East of Moon, South of Comanche and West of Morris, your neighborhood has been selected as Phase III of the Mayor's Recycle Cart Pilot Program.

* If your trash is collected every Thursday and you live in any of the following three areas, your neighborhood has also been selected as Phase III of the Mayor's Recycle Cart Pilot Program:

    2. Valley Garden: South of Lakeview, West of Southfield, North of Metzgar and East of West Glen.
    3. North of Dennis Chavez, East of 118th St., South of Colobel and West of 98th St.
    4. North of Dennis Chavez, East of 98th St., South of Gibson and West of Meade.

Please note that neighborhoods in the pilot areas will no longer receive recycle bag service.  The only recycling that will be picked up in this pilot area are those households that use a City issued blue recycle cart. If you have not yet received your blue recycle cart and live in the specified pilot area(s), call 311 for assistance.

PHASE II

If your trash is collected every Friday and your home is located North of Interstate-40, South of Ouray, West of Coors and East of Unser, your neighborhood has been selected to be part of Phase II of the Mayor's Recycle Cart Pilot Program at no additional charge.

This program features a blue cart to help you recycle acceptable household items. (Listed Below)

Please note that recycle bag service is no longer available in your area.  The only recycling that will be picked up in this pilot area are those households that use a City issued blue recycle cart.  If you have not yet received your blue recycle cart and live in the specified pilot area(s), call 311 for assistance.

Please refer to the to the information below which references the City issued blue recycle cart only. Upon receipt, you may begin using your City issued blue recycle cart on your next trash day.

Please note:  Phase II is not being tested for the yard waste collection program utilizing the green recycle carts.

Phase I

If your trash is collected every Friday and your home is located West of Unser, North of Interstate-40 and South of Lava Bluff NW, your neighborhood has been selected to participate in the City of Albuquerque’s Curbside Recycle Cart Pilot Program at no additional charge.  

This program features two carts to help you recycle your everyday items.  The blue cart is for household recyclables and the green cart is for yard (or green) waste.

Please note that recycle bag service is no longer available in your area.  The only recycling that will be picked up in this pilot area are those households that use a City issued blue recycle cart and/or green yard waste recycle cart. If you have not yet received your blue recycle cart and live in the specified pilot area(s), call 311 for assistance.

Below is information on proper placement and details of what is considered acceptable items to place in your City issued blue recycle cart and/or City issued green cart.  Upon receipt, you may begin using your City issued blue recycle cart and/or green cart on your next trash day.

The data collected from your participation in this pilot program will help us develop and create an efficient curbside recycling program for the citizens of Albuquerque.

How to Recycle Using Your New Blue and Green Curbside Recycling Carts

The following are tips to help explain this program to you, so that you can use your new City-issued Blue and Green Recycling Carts correctly.

Proper Placement

• Place your cart out at the curb no later than 7 a.m. on your regular pick-up day.
• Make sure that the front of the cart faces the street.
• Place your cart 5 feet away from all obstructions, including cars, poles, and additional carts.
• Please don't load your cart with more than 100 lbs.
• The lid of your cart must close with ease.
• If your cart is damaged or broken, missing or stolen, please call 311 for a replacement.
• Material left outside your cart will not be picked up.

Acceptable Items That MAY Deposited in Your Blue Cart

• Newspaper, Magazines, Miscellaneous Paper Products
  • All white and colored writing paper, computer paper, magazines, and newspapers including inserts
  • Junk mail
  • Corrugated cardboard (the double-walled cardboard with the wiggly center)
  • Please do not bundle newspapers in anything other than brown paper grocery bags.
• Tin, Aerosol Cans, or Aluminum Cans
  • Food and pet food cans
  • Soda and beer cans

• Plastic
  • All plastic bottles and jugs with a screw top lid or that have a neck smaller than the base
  • Two liter bottles
  • Plastic milk jugs
  • Bleach bottles
  • Any plastic container marked on the bottom with a #1 or #2

Acceptable Items That May Be Deposited in Your Green Cart

• Grass
• Leaves
• Plant trimmings
• Tree branches and prunings
• Green waste should be dumped un-bagged directly into your green cart.
• Please remember to make sure that branches and prunings are small enough so that they won't get stuck in your cart and the cart lid will close with ease.

Prohibited items
Please do not put these items in your blue or green cart!

• Hazardous waste
• Scrap metal such as metal pipe, hangers, wires, or automotive parts
• Hot ashes
• Concrete, rocks, gravel, or wood
• Pizza boxes
• Snack food bags (like chips or popcorn bags)
• Fast food containers, cups, or wrappers
• Styrofoam or styrofoam peanuts
• Plastic toys or furniture
• Plastic film or grocery bags
• Plastic wrap or dry cleaning bags

Glass is prohibited - Please DO NOT put glass in your cart

At this time, glass is not accepted as part of our "Curbside Recycling Pilot Program." However, glass jars, beer and wine bottles, baby food jars, and salad dressing jars can be taken to one of our 22 recycling drop-off sites. Find the most convenient sites for you!

More questions? Visit the pilot program's FAQ.