Recycling awareness

If you aren’t recycling yet, read on. If you are, kuddos and pat yourself on the back.

I have become a recycling advocate and thought I’d share how easy it is to recycle stuff here in ABQ and feel good about being “green”.

The city of Albuquerque will pick up your recycling the same day you set out your trash bin. My logic is this- when you throw something away, you have to toss it somewhere, right? Since the city is doing most of the work by offering to pick up this stuff, why not recycle instead of adding to the landfill? I made some extra space under my sink and put in an additional trash can there. This new one is the recycling can. When I am making dinner and using a can of soup, I wash out the can and throw it in the recycling bin. It’s as simple as deciding where to throw the stuff- the trash or the recycling can. They’re both in the same spot so it makes recycling VERY easy. When it gets full I dump it into a large plastic bin that I keep outside by my garbage can. Then on Fridays I luckily convinced my husband to haul 2 things to the curb instead of one. Recycling made simple. Don’t worry about sorting anything- the city will do that for you. Below are the guidelines listed on the city’s website for recycling.

If you can figure out a way to recycle that will not complicate your life I can guarantee that you will feel good about yourself. When I started I couldn’t believe how much space it saved in my trash can each week, especially with paper (can you believe how much paper comes home from school with your kids?) It adds up.

Melissa

Curbside Recycling guidelines, taken from http://www.cabq.gov/solidwaste/recycling

What You can Recycle at Your Curb
The following materials CAN NOT be recycled:
We DO NOT recycle styrofoam
We DO NOT recycle chipboard (cereal boxes)
We DO NOT service any recycle bin larger than 19-gallons.

Glass containers: Because of the potential for worker injury, glass IS NOT collected curbside. You may take glass to one of the city-wide Recycling Drop-Off sites.

The following materials CAN be recycled:
newspapers, magazines, & shopping catalogues
junk mail and home office paper
tin/steel (small pieces/containers), aluminum cans
All plastic bottles and jugs with a neck or screw top.
#1 & #2 Plastic Bottles or Jugs
corrugated cardboard (flattened and bundled-see below for details)

How to Recycle

(*Melissa's side note- the city likes to make you think it's complicated, as listed below, but they will still pick up your stuff and do the work for you at their sorting facility if you just throw everything into a clear plastic bag or a reusable plastic bin)

Plastic, Tin, Steel, or Aluminum Cans:
Use clear, plastic recycling bags (see below), small plastic shopping bags (double bag to avoid spilling or tie in a bundle) or a 19-gallon plastic bin to collect aluminum, tin, aerosol cans, and all plastic bottles and jugs
Containers should be cleaned and rinsed, with lids and caps removed. Labels need not be removed. It is helpful, but not necessary, to separate plastics and metals.

Newspaper, Magazines, Miscellaneous Paper Products:
Use strong twine or rope, recycling bags, or small plastic shopping bags (double bag to avoid spilling or tie in a bundle) to contain newspaper.
Place remaining paper products in recycling bags. Clean out and remove all contents and flatten.

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.

Glass
Because of the potential for worker injury, glass is not collected curbside. You may take glass to one of our convenient city-wide Recycling Drop-Off sites.

Other Materials
See a guide to nonresidential recycling, which lists options for recycling materials not currently included in Albuquerque's recycling program.

Recycling Bags
Many larger grocery stores and retail outlets sell clear plastic recycling bags. Any clear, sturdy plastic bag may be used for containing recyclables. Coupons for free recycling bags are mailed to Albuquerque residents in city water bills once per year in August. Coupons are redeemable at the Solid Waste Management Department's main facility at 4600 Edith NE, at senior centers, and at some independent grocery stores. Recycling bags can also be purchased for $5.25 (tax included) for a roll of 30 bags at various locations throughout the city.