Recycling in Taos County

TAOS COUNTY RECYCLES!Feather - Taos County


  • Recycling saves money in manufacturing products we buy.
  • Recycling generates income that supports expanding recycling.
  • Recycling extends the life of the landfill, saving tax dollars for Taos County residents.  
  • Recycling generates employment in the community.
  • Recycling saves natural resources.

     

OUR GOAL- Recycling Right

  • Increasing the amount of recycling and reducing recycling contamination is our goal.             

  • The new national recycling goal is that 50% of solid waste be recycled by 2030, and Taos County is working to meet or exceed this goal.

INTRO Daniel B. Young moving cardboard bales at the El Prado hubThe information below about the items we CURRENTLY take and other potentially recyclable items is to help you understand what, why, and where to recycle. Due to budgetary constraints, we cannot yet accept everything and not yet at all our transfer stations.* We are working to increase what we can accept and process.

  • In 2024, we will add #1 and #2 clean plastics at transfer stations.
  • As we increase revenue (with everyone paying the solid waste bill!) and add more recycling jobs, we will then accept office, household, and mixed paper (chipboard). Our goal is to minimize landfill use.
  • We accept some clean yard waste for chipping at the operations center on Highway 64 and some neighborhood sites, such as Firewise USA® locations. Call Lorenzo at (575) 779 8941 if you want to bring a load. We are also working with active acequia associations for chipping brush clean-up.
  • We know that composting is beneficial and represents a large part of our waste stream. We are looking for ways to fund commercial and household composting.
  • Look for our recycle receptacles for plastic bottles and aluminum cans in Taos this summer!

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s priorities for waste reduction highest to lowest:

  • USE LESS (REDUCE)                                                            
  • REUSE, RECYCLE
  • COMPOST
  • LANDFILL DISPOSAL

The Taos County Solid Waste Department is self-sustaining and not part of the general fund. Please pay your solid waste bills to support good solid waste management and increased recycling! 

INTRO Daniel B. Young with Recycling EquipmentNo punch on your card (except for tires) is necessary to recycle at the transfer station! Your punch card shows you're contributing to support recycling.

Solid waste fee information: https://taoscounty.org/Faq.aspx?TID=16

Taos County Transfer Station Locations:

https://taoscounty.org/368/Solid-Waste-Operations

*Not all transfer stations accept motor oil, batteries, e-waste, and white goods.  Check each of those sections below before transporting these goods.

More information on items that can be recycled:

  1. Cardboard
  2. Aluminum
  3. Steel Cans
  4. Batteries
  5. Motor oils/Cooking Oils
  6. White Goods & Scrap Metal
  7. Tires
  8. E-Waste
  9. Plastic
  10. Feather playingPaper
  11. Glass
  12. Compost

***Funding for the recycling information on this website and the informational flyers to be included in the 2023-'24 solid waste invoices is funded by the 2023-'24 Recycling and Illegal Dumping Grant (RAID) from the New Mexico Environment Department's support of education for increased and cleaner recycling***

***Researchers and writers for the Taos County website recycling pages and the informational flyers to be enclosed in the solid waste invoices are Charles D. Young, Jennifer Paris, John Offersen, Julie Shedko, and Lou McCall. Thank you!***