The Albuquerque City Council amended its Municipal Solid Waste Ordinance on Sept. 9 so that renters can recycle at home.
Ordinance O-26-46, sponsored by District 7 Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn, eliminates two exemptions. Properties with fewer than 25 units can no longer skip recycling, and complexes with 25 or more units can no longer pay a fee instead of making containers physically accessible to residents. Hardship exemptions are limited to structural infeasibility, not cost.
All city-owned and city-operated buildings must also provide accessible recycling. City facilities have 180 days to comply; multiple-family dwellings have until Jan. 1, 2027.
“For too long, thousands of Albuquerque renters have been denied the basic opportunity to recycle at home,” Fiebelkorn said.