Otero County, NM Trash & Recycling: Pickup Rules & Schedules (2026)

Section 190-6 requires that commercial producers of solid waste, owners of premises where waste accumulates, licensed transporters, and anyone disposing of material not covered by the chapter's waste definition comply with the ordinance's collection rules. It specifically mandates that collection of solid waste be accomplished through a vehicle with a tightly secured cover, and that such vehicles be operated so as to prevent offensive odors from escaping and prevent waste from being blown, dropped or spilled during transport. Section 190-5 assigns ownership and responsibility for waste to its generator until it reaches a landfill or approved facility or is picked up by a licensed private contractor, and states that anyone who removes waste from a property takes on ownership of it until delivery to a convenience center, transfer station or landfill.

A hauler is defined in § 190-3 as any person who collects refuse or debris from property they do not own, distinguishing licensed commercial haulers from residents disposing of their own waste. Section 190-7.D separately bars placing solid waste at an Otero County convenience center or landfill outside its regular posted operating hours, tying pickup and drop-off timing together under the same enforcement scheme. The chapter, rewritten in its entirety by Ord. No. 25-04 effective April 8, 2025, ties collection-vehicle standards directly to the same penalty ladder that governs dumping and accumulation violations elsewhere in Chapter 190.