Albuquerque, NM Trash & Recycling: Bulk Item Disposal (2026)

Footnote 4 to the Collection and Disposal Rates Appendix, which implements Section 9-10-1-8, states that the Residential Rate includes residential collection and disposal, recycling collection and processing, residential large item collection, graffiti, weed and litter removal, and environmental needs change, meaning a bulky-item pickup is bundled into the flat monthly charge rather than billed separately in the ordinary case. Section 9-10-1-8(B)(1) sets the baseline for what counts as ordinary: the city collects the refuse and recyclable material of each family during a collection period for the standard charge, but any excessive accumulation, as determined by the Mayor, may require a special collection at an additional fee.

That discretion sits with the Solid Waste Management Department, which decides when a pile of bulky items, furniture or construction debris exceeds what a resident should expect from the flat rate. Section 9-10-1-8(C) carves out categories that can never go out with regular or bulk residential pickup regardless of size: infectious waste from homes or care facilities, highly flammable or explosive material, and hazardous waste as defined in Section 9-10-1-3, all of which the producer must arrange to dispose of separately, at their own cost if mishandled.

Tires are likewise excluded from ordinary bulk pickup under Section 9-10-1-8(C)(4) and must go in a container designated for tire disposal only, with an additional fee assessed under the rate appendix and a penalty under Sections 9-10-1-98 and 9-10-1-99 if tires are mixed into a regular container. Residents seeking a special collection beyond the included large-item allowance should contact the Solid Waste Management Department, which the ordinance designates as having sole authority to set the fee and schedule for that extra service.