Recycling in Socorro

Recycling in Socorro is a pain. The city briefly supported curbside recycling, but dropping prices for recycling and rising collection costs forced them to stop. Socorro is such a poor city that recycling is just not a priority for the majority of the residents.

Items that are still valuable, or downright dangerous, can be recycled piecemeal, as described in the list below. Or you can hire Morning Wood Cutters for $20 a month at your house. They recycle cardboard, paperboard, newspaper, computer paper, junk mail, magazines, glass bottles, plastic bottles, plastic grocery bags, tin, aluminum, copper, and steel.

What	When	Where
aluminum cans and newspaper	1st Saturday 8:30-11:20AM	lot south of Ace Hardware
aluminum cans	anytime	various cardboard recycling bins
mixed paper and paperboard	3rd Saturday 8:30-11:20AM	Plaza
e-waste	business hours	Computers by LTJ 105 Plaza
plastic bags	business hours	bin at Walmart or Smiths. Smiths gives "points" for bringing your own plastic bags
cardboard boxes, motor oil	anytime	next to animal shelter/UPS
vehicle batteries	business hours	NAPA Auto Parts
tires	landfill hours	landfill, 1$ charge (closed for high winds)
toner cartridges	business hours	Cottonwood Charter School
cell phone, rechargeable batteries, all toner cartridges	business hours	Rotary Club boxes at  Coffee Shop, Library, Smith's photo, Corner Copy

What about compost? There are two facts that you need to know about composting in New Mexico -- you must water the compost -- or it will mumify rather than compost. The second thing you need is worms.