A guide to proper disposal of atypical household garbage items

May 7—On a day to day, it's easy to toss old household products into the bin. However, some items are not as easily disposable and need special care to ensure the item has been safely disposed of. This short guide lists the various types of waste and how to properly dispose of them.

Green waste

Green waste includes organic materials like grass clippings, tree branches and leaves.

Twice a year, the city of Albuquerque will pick up residential waste at no charge. The current collection dates run through Friday, May 10. Fall green waste pick up dates have yet to be set. Solid Waste customers must place their Green Waste (leaves, grass and brush) in trash bags weighing no more than 40 pounds on their regular trash pickup day. Branches should be cut into four-foot lengths and bundled securely.

Call 311 or 505-768-2000 with questions or to report a missed Green Waste pickup.

Electronic waste

Electronic waste (or e-waste) are electronic products that can be reused or recycled. It is important to properly recycle e-waste, as toxic substances like lead and mercury commonly found in these products can lead to contamination. Common e-waste products are items such as cellphones, modems and laptops.

E-waste can be recycled at any of the convenience center locations in the Bernalillo County. For $5.25 per load (including tax) you may take your excess trash, yard waste and large items to any convenience center location (residents and small commercial customers only).

Hazardous household waste

Household waste products are items that can burn, corrode, explode or poison. Examples of these items are pesticides, automobile batteries and fluorescent light bulbs. Residents of Bernalillo County are able to take products like these to the Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center (HHWCC), located at 2720 Girard Blvd. NE. Hours are 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday; and 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday. Call 505-884-2277 for more information.

Items like tires, radioactive waste and ammunition will not be accepted by the HHWCC.

Large items

Large item requests can be handled through the CABQ website under the "Large Item Pick-Up" tab at cabq.gov/solidwaste. Eligible items for pickup include furniture, appliances and tires.

Any other waste

For any questions about waste management, Public Information Officer Alex Bukoski recommends referring to the city of Albuquerque website, cabq.gov, for guidance.

After finding the solid waste section of the website (cabq.gov/solidwaste), click under the "Recycling" tab. From there, readers will be able to find the city's "Recycling Coach" section. This portion of the website helps users search for recycling and disposal information by inputting the name of the item they needed information for.

Clicking the bottom left tab named "Materials List" will show a comprehensive guide of typical items people ask about. Bukoski also says if the website does not have the proper information, contact 311 to get assistance on proper disposal.