Recycling Information

Aside from conserving natural resources, recycling saves you money. It is free to recycle household waste at County convenience centers, so the more you recycle, the more you save.

Recycling saves the County money too, which helps keep costs down for you. In 2017, Santa Fe County saved $108,000 by recycling 26% of the material from solid waste convenience centers. By increasing our recycling rate to the national average of 35%, we can save an additional $37,000 per year.  Recycling will help the County continue providing the same level of service without raising rates.

For these reasons and others, Santa Fe County has made recycling mandatory at convenience centers. Any person placing recyclables in the waste bins will be issued a warning and/or issued a citation. If found guilty, the criminal penalty shall be a minimum of $25 for the first offense, $50 for the second offense, and $75 for the third offense.

Preparation Instructions:

1. Flatten boxes.
2. Keep clean and dry. Rinse lightly.
3. Place loose in containers. No bags. Do not tie with string.
4. Puts caps back on plastic and metal bottles and containers (if possible). Remove caps from glass bottles and containers.

Recycle right! If you’re not sure if a material is recyclable, put it in the garbage. Contamination causes a lot of problems, so when in doubt, throw it out! For more information on how to recycle right, contact us at (505) 992-3010.

MINIMUM SIZE OF RECYCYABLES: Anything smaller than a post card cannot be handled by the processing facility and should be landfilled or composted.

What happens to the material?

Mixed recyclables, cardboard, glass, and tires are hauled to the Buckman Road Recycling and Transfer Station in Santa Fe. Scrap metal and appliances are sold to a metal recycling company in Santa Fe that sorts it and sells it to a smelter where it is turns it into raw material for manufacturing. Glass is transported to the Denver area where it is recycled back into glass bottles. Mixed recyclables are hauled to Albuquerque where they are sorted, sold in domestic and international markets, and manufactured into new products. Tires are sent to a recycling facility in Denver City, TX where they are turned into a raw material used in asphalt and new rubber applications. Automotive fluids are sold to a company that refines or cleans them in order to turn them into new automotive fluids.

Acceptable Items for Recycling at County Convenience Centers:

Mixed Recycling
Glass
Used automotive fluids
Tires (punch on card)
Green waste/yard waste (punch on card)
Scrap metal

Click here for a listing of locations to recycle materials not accepted at convenience centers.

Mixed Recycling*
^Free

YES: Aluminum cans Boxboard (cereal boxes, egg cartons, etc.) Brown paper bags Cardboard Food and beverage cartons Junk mail Magazines and catalogs Newspaper Office paper Paperback and hardcover books Phone books Plastic bottles and containers (jars, tubs, clamshells, etc.) Rigid plastics (toys, laundry baskets, buckets, etc.) Shredded paper (place in clear plastic bags) Steel/tin cans

NO: Batteries Bubble padded or Tyvek envelopes Electronics Containers which held toxins such as paint, pesticides, and motor oil Food-contaminated containers (i.e. greasy pizza boxes) Garden hoses Paper cups Paper towels, napkins, tissues Plastic film (grocery bags, bubble wrap, shrink wrap, food wrappers, etc.) Pressurized cylinders Scrap metal (place in scrap metal area) Styrofoam Syringes, sharps, or sharp containers Wax coated cardboard Waxy paper (i.e. tea bag wrappers)

 *Glass is accepted for recycling in Santa Fe County, but should not be placed in with mixed recyclables. Scroll down to learn more about recycling glass and other materials at County convenience centers!

Glass
^Free

YES: Bottles Jars

NO: Ceramics Drinking glasses Light bulbs Window or plate glass

 

Used Automotive Fluids
^{Free. No more than five gallons per trip.}

YES: Gear oil Hydraulic oil Motor oil Power steering fluid Transmission fluid

NO: Antifreeze Oil that has been mixed with fluids other than those listed (including water) Other automotive fluids

 

Tires
^{Permit punch required. No more than eight tires per month.}

YES: Passenger tires

NO: Rims Tractor/heavy equipment tires

 

Green Waste/Yard Waste
^{Permit punch required}

YES: Brush Clean wood Tree trimmings

NO: Green waste larger than six feet or 18 inches in diameter Lumber Stumps Wood with paint and nails

 

 

Scrap Metal & Appliances
^Free

YES: Aluminum Appliances Brass Catalytic convertors Copper Iron Lead Radiators Steel Wire

NO: Electronics (other than appliances) Lead-acid batteries Metal containing hazardous materials (i.e. undrained motor oil filters) Refrigerant containing appliances (refrigerators, air conditioners, etc.) without a CFC removal sticker

 

Other Recycling Locations in Santa Fe County:

^{If your business should be added to this listing, contact us at (505) 992-3010.}

Quick Links:
Car batteries
Cell phones, cell phone batteries, tablets, and chargers
Corks
Fluorescent light bulbs
Electronic waste
Ink/toner cartridges
Plastic bags
Rechargeable batteries
Refrigerant containing appliances
Used motor oil

Car Batteries
^{Some facilities offer cash or gift cards. Call facility for details.}

Auto Zone 6421-2 Airport Rd Santa Fe, NM 87507 (505) 424-0252	Sam’s Club 4201 Rodeo Rd Santa Fe, NM 87507 (505) 471-8825	O’Reilly Auto Parts 17 Liberty Square Cir Edgewood, NM 87015 (505) 596-0054
Auto Zone 2505 Cerrillos Rd Santa Fe, NM 87505 (505) 438-3374	Mr. G’s Recycling 7625 Baca Ln Santa Fe, NM 87507 (505) 474-6969	Pep Boys Auto Parts 2710 Cerrillos Rd Santa Fe, NM 87507 (505) 473-3463
Auto Zone 1944 Old US 66 Edgewood, NM 87015 (505) 286-1855	Napa Auto Parts 1125 Calle La Resolana Santa Fe, NM 87505 (505) 471-1464
Buckman Road Recycling and Transfer Station* 2600 Buckman Rd Santa Fe, NM 87507 (505) 955-2215	O’Reilly Auto Parts 4715 Airport Rd Santa Fe, NM 87507 (505) 473-0058
Capital Scrap Metals 1162 Cooks Ln Santa Fe, NM 87507 (505) 471–0740	O’Reilly Auto Parts 2109 Cerrillos Rd Santa Fe, NM 87505 (505) 438-0844
*Only on Fridays and Saturdays

 

Cell Phones, Cell Phone Batteries, Tablets, and Chargers
^{Restrictions may apply. Call facility for details.}

AP Wireless 6001 Jaguar Dr #101 Santa Fe, NM 87507 (505) 471-1085	EcoATM (in Walmart) 3251 Cerrillos Rd Santa Fe, NM 87507	Target 3550 Zafarano Dr Santa Fe, NM 87507 (505) 471-9600
AT&T 3494 Zafarano Dr D Santa Fe, NM 87507 (505) 424-1638	EcoATM (in Santa Fe Place Mall) 4250 Cerrillos Rd Santa Fe, NM 87505	T-Mobile 4056 Cerrillos Rd Ste E-2 Santa Fe, NM 87507 (505) 471-0385
Best Buy 3533 Zafarano Dr Santa Fe, NM 87507 (505) 438-4761	Office Depot 2016 Cerrillos Rd Santa Fe, NM 87505 (505) 474-7181	Verizon Authorized Retailer – Go Wireless 604 N Guadalupe St D Santa Fe, NM 87501 (505) 820-2054
Buckman Road Recycling and Transfer Station 2600 Buckman Rd Santa Fe, NM 87507 (505) 955-2215	Office Depot 153 Paseo de Peralta Santa Fe, NM 87501 (505) 986-0096	Verizon Authorized Retailer – Go Wireless 500 Market St E Santa Fe, NM 87501 (505) 983-6083
Dotfoil Computers 851 St Michaels Dr Santa Fe, NM 87505 (505) 954-9955	Verizon 3545 Zafarano Dr C Santa Fe, NM 87507 (505) 424-1620

 

Corks

Total Wine and More 3529 Zafarano Dr #11 Santa Fe, NM 87507 (505) 428-4262

Fluorescent Light Bulbs
^{Restrictions/fees may apply. Call facility for details.}

Buckman Road Recycling and Transfer Station* 2600 Buckman Rd Santa Fe, NM 87507 (505) 955-2215	Home Depot 952 Richards Ave Santa Fe, NM 87507 (505) 424-9463	Lowe’s Home Improvement 3458 Zafarano Dr Santa Fe, NM 87507 (505) 819-4080
*Only on Fridays and Saturdays

 

Electronic Waste
^{Restrictions/fees may apply. Call facility for details.}

Best Buy 3533 Zafarano Dr Santa Fe, NM 87507 (505) 438-4761	Dotfoil Computers 851 St Michaels Dr Santa Fe, NM 87505 (505) 954-9955	Office Depot 153 Paseo de Peralta Santa Fe, NM 87501 (505) 986-0096
Buckman Road Recycling and Transfer Station 2600 Buckman Rd Santa Fe, NM 87507 (505) 955-2215	Mr. G’s Recycling 7625 Baca Ln Santa Fe, NM 87507 (505) 474-6969
Capital Scrap Metals 1162 Cooks Ln Santa Fe, NM 87507 (505) 471–0740	Office Depot 2016 Cerrillos Rd Santa Fe, NM 87505 (505) 474-7181

 

Ink/Toner Cartridges

Best Buy 3533 Zafarano Dr Santa Fe, NM 87507 (505) 438-4761	Office Depot 2016 Cerrillos Rd Santa Fe, NM 87505 (505) 474-7181	Office Depot 153 Paseo de Peralta Santa Fe, NM 87501 (505) 986-0096
Cartridges Etc. 1214 Camino Carlos Rey Santa Fe, NM 87507 (505) 473-2739

 

Plastic Bags
^{Grocery/shopping bags, dry cleaning bags, newspaper sleeves, etc. No food wrap or bags with zippers, slide locks, or drawstrings.}

Market Street 600 N Guadalupe St Santa Fe, NM 87501 (505) 982-4668	Eldorado Supermarket (Agora) 7 Avenida Vista Grande Santa Fe, NM 87508 (505) 466-2602	Sprouts Farmers Market 199 Paseo De Peralta Santa Fe, NM 87501 (505) 988-1140
Albertsons Market 3001 St Francis Dr Santa Fe, NM 87501 (505) 992-8663	Albertsons Market 3542 Zafarano Dr Santa Fe, NM 87507 (505) 471-1058	Target 3550 Zafarano Dr Santa Fe, NM 87507 (505) 471-9600
Smith’s Food and Drug 2110 S Pacheco St Santa Fe, NM 87505 (505) 473-5560

 

Rechargeable Batteries
^{Non-leaking rechargeable batteries used in power tools, cell phones, laptops, etc. No single-use alkaline batteries.
Nickel Cadmium (Ni-CD), Lithium Ion (Li-ion), Small sealed lead acid (SSLA/Pb), Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH, Nickel Zinc (Ni-Zn)}

Batteries Plus Bulbs 1609 St Michael’s Dr Santa Fe, NM 87505 (505) 629-0538	Buckman Road Recycling and Transfer Station* 2600 Buckman Rd Santa Fe, NM 87507 (505) 955-2215	Home Depot 952 Richards Ave Santa Fe, NM 87507 (505) 424-9463
Best Buy 3533 Zafarano Dr Santa Fe, NM 87507 (505) 438-4761	Lowe’s Home Improvement 3458 Zafarano Dr Santa Fe, NM 87507 (505) 819-4080
*Only on Fridays and Saturdays. The Buckman Road facility is now also accepting single-use alkaline batteries.

 

Refrigerant Containing Appliances
^{Fees may apply. Please call facility for details.}

Buckman Road Recycling and Transfer Station 2600 Buckman Rd Santa Fe, NM 87507 (505) 955-2215

Capital Scrap Metals 1162 Cooks Ln Santa Fe, NM 87507 (505) 471–0740

Mr. G’s Recycling 7625 Baca Ln Santa Fe, NM 87507 (505) 474-6969

Used Motor Oil
^{Maximum allowable amounts may apply. Please call facility for details.}

Advance Auto Parts 1209 Siler Rd Santa Fe, NM 87507 (505) 438-1849	Auto Zone 1944 Old US 66 Edgewood, NM 87015 (505) 286-1855	O’Reilly Auto Parts 2109 Cerrillos Rd Santa Fe, NM 87505 (505) 438-0844
Auto Zone 6421-2 Airport Rd Santa Fe, NM 87507 (505) 424-0252	Buckman Road Recycling and Transfer Station* 2600 Buckman Rd Santa Fe, NM 87507 (505) 955-2215	O’Reilly Auto Parts 17 Liberty Square Cir Edgewood, NM 87015 (505) 596-0054
Auto Zone 2505 Cerrillos Rd Santa Fe, NM 87505 (505) 438-3374	O’Reilly Auto Parts 4715 Airport Rd Santa Fe, NM 87507 (505) 473-0058	Pep Boys Auto Parts 2710 Cerrillos Rd Santa Fe, NM 87507 (505) 473-3463
*Only on Fridays and Saturdays