I agree wholeheartedly that we need recycling bins. The current system not only creates a disincentive to recycle, it contributes to litter when the wind knocks over our flimsy paper and plastic bags filled with recylcing.

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With the city of Albuquerque facing a huge budget shortfall and the fact that the recycle capability in Albuquerque is grossly inadequate to handle the cities recycle efforts, I don’t see this happening. Even if you buy your own recycle containers which I did, garbage collectors won't lift any container over 12 gallons. They also won’t pick up anything with glass in it. If they find it in the bag they have been known to smash it on the grond and leave it for you to clean up.

Chris Roark: Your reply about the budget is nothing but an excuse. I am so sorry to hear that the recycling collectors smashed your bag with glass in it, as that is terrible and even dangerous behavior. You should report immediately to the city by calling 311. We need to make room in the budget and behave like a first-class, modern city and quit accepting mediocrity and in your case malicious conduct. Where did you buy your bin?

With Albuquerque being ranked as one of the green cities I am not sure why only a select few have the recycle bins. I was behind the Solid waste building a few weeks ago for business and noticed that they had an entire yard full of the blue bins.

I appreciate and share your concerns about recycling! To date, we have given 115 presentations to the public about recycling and the direction we are headed. We have been working with a consultant to develop an Integrated Waste Management Plan and specifically look at how we can improve recycling. First, we need a new recycling processing facility, as our current facility is very small, with outdated equipment. We cannot increase the inflow of recycling until we have additional capacity with which to process it! We are looking at the cost of a new facility, as well as whether it should be operated by the City or a private company. We need the new facility to be up and running before we can roll out any new city wide recycling programs (including cart recycling).

The City has looked to successful recycling programs in other cities and found single stream cart recycling to be shared by the leading recycling cities of San Francisco; Seattle; Austin; San Jose; Toronto, Canada; Tucson; and Denver. Chicago has also recently announced a move to single stream cart recycling. Throwing all recyclables together (with the exception of glass in Albuquerque) in a recycling cart and wheeling it to the curb has been shown to be one of the most convenient programs for residents, resulting in communities diverting 50%, 60%, even 70% of their waste from the landfill. This will be the focus of the City’s recycling efforts as we move forward.

The City has initiated a 10,000 household residential cart pilot program to see if this holds true for Albuquerque, as well. So far, our 64-gallon recycling carts have shown to be much more convenient for residents and much more visible for our drivers, resulting in increased participation and improved service.

I hope you will join me in my excitement about the future for recycling in Albuquerque and support our efforts in this new direction.

Jill Holbert, Deputy Director
Solid Waste Management Dept.
City of Albuquerque

Jill,

I'll share your excitement when I see some action. When I moved here five years ago, I was surprised to learn Albuquerque was so far behind in its recyclying efforts. Nothing has been done to improve recycling efforts since then. I've instituted some recyclying at our business, but the city won't help with any of it. Finding places to recycle glass is difficult because the recycling containers are shoved in the back side of store's loading dock area and out of sight. There is not any recycling station that I could see at any of the waste convenience centers. I just don't think the city is too concerned about it.

Jill from the Solid Waste Department responded below in the comments

Dear Zapato: Very well stated -- actions are greater than words and so far we have seen very little actions with exception of letters from the city attempting to excuse their excuses and ineffectual attempts of bring the Q's recycling program into the 21st century.

exaclty what I was thinking.... I see all talk no action myself ...starting to think Albq could give two Sh&^'s about recycling all they do is talk and then after that what you know something more importent has come up and this has to be put right back where it came from ....the back burner

I feel it was not Sloved or even fixed to any satisfaction and will not rest in till it is fixed right

Per Solid Waste..
"GIVEN TO JILL HOLBERT"

Per Solid Waste..
"GIVEN TO JILL HOLBERT"