Did you know that the City of Albuquerque is currently running a composting pilot program located at the McKinley Community Center? This is an amazing resource for our community, and today we want to tell you a bit about it! Come along on a composting journey with Sara Collins, HNA Vice President, who recently joined this pilot program!
First, a bit about the program: It started on April 7th, 2025 and has been going strong since. It originally started with a cap of 50 households, but the program has discovered it can support more participation. CABQ partners with Little Green Bucket, who picks up the food waste once a week and hauls it to their composting facility – turning our community food waste into compost that returns to our ecosystem through community distribution. Before dropping off food waste through this program, you must sign up and become an approved participant. Signing up was super easy, and Sara received approval within half of a business day! You can sign up to participate by filling out the form on this City webpage, and Sandra (the City’s sustainability coordinator) will be in touch with you with approval and instructions for utilizing the site.
From there, you can start collecting your food scraps in a container separate from your regular trash. You can find what items you should collect on Little Green Bucket’s website! Sara uses a small bucket from Home Depot, but the City has a limited amount of buckets available for those that need one! We recommend that you use a bucket that you have on hand to reduce waste. Keep in mind that while you’re collecting food waste, you want to do so in a container that has a lid that seals – that way you keep the smell inside! You can also keep particularly smelly food in your fridge or freezer while collecting it and only add it to the bucket on the day you plan to empty your scraps.
Dropping off the bucket was a smooth process. Sara chose to walk from her house on Goodrich Ave, further reducing the environmental impact by avoiding the drive! If you choose to drive to drop off your food scraps, consider pairing the activity with your regular commute to work or with other errands so you’re not making a special trip. Once Sara arrived at the community center, the bin (a green trashcan) was exactly where the City said it would be and was clearly labeled. Sara popped open her bucket and dumped it in the bin, and used the paper towel she brought along to wipe the contents out of the bin (the paper towel is also compostable, so Sara was able to throw it straight into the bin when she was done!). And it’s as easy as that!
Deciding to divert your food waste from the landfill is a powerful step towards a more sustainable future. There are several composting options in Albuquerque – but this City program is truly a huge benefit to the Hodgin community! It’s free to participate in, and the drop off site is just down the street. We hope more neighbors decide to participate in this awesome CABQ pilot program!
