The Resource Recovery Bureau promotes and works to ensure solid waste management practices that improve and protect public health and New Mexico’s air, land, and water.
Effective January 1, 2026 – New PFAS Constituent Requirements for Landfill Groundwater Monitoring
The New Mexico Environment Department’s Resource Recovery Bureau has developed a Fact Sheet and updated Subsection B of the Groundwater Monitoring Parameter Table to reflect these changes.
Solid Waste is Now Resource Recovery
The New Mexico Environment Department has renamed its Solid Waste Bureau to the Resource Recovery Bureau to reflect its expanded mission in sustainable materials management. In addition to overseeing permitting and compliance for solid waste facilities, the Bureau administers recycling and composting initiatives, manages grant programs, and works to reduce waste, conserve resources, and advance a circular economy in New Mexico.
- Overseeing permitting for solid waste, recycling, and composting facilities
- Administering the Recycling and Illegal Dumping (RAID) Grant and Solid Waste Facility Grant Programs
- Conducting operator certification training
- Providing technical assistance to local governments, tribal entities, community organizations, and the public
- The Bureau’s activities are guided by the New Mexico Solid Waste Act; Solid Waste Rules; Recycling and Illegal Dumping Act; Recycling, Illegal Dumping, and Scrap Tire Management Rules; and other state and federal rules and policies.
Solid Waste Management Plan Update
The Resource Recovery Bureau, with funding from the EPA’s Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling (SWIFR) program and support from consultant Burns & McDonnell, is launching an update to New Mexico’s Solid Waste Management Plan, last updated in 2015. The project will modernize statewide waste management strategies, strengthen data collection, and set goals for recycling, food waste reduction, and sustainable materials management. The 2026 Solid Waste Management will be complete in September 2026. To view more details about the plan update, including an FAQ, click here.
Circular Economy Plan
The Resource Recovery Bureau is proud to announce the completion of New Mexico’s first Circular Economy Plan! The plan was developed per the HB 291update to the Recycling, Circular Economy, and Illegal Dumping Act (Act) in 2025, which directs the Recycling and Illegal Dumping Alliance to develop a Circular Economy Plan (CEP), as a part of the overall Solid Waste Management Plan (SWMP). As both efforts have been underway this year, RRB staff and the consultants for each plan communicated to ensure the Circular Economy Plan would reflect the strategies from stakeholder-driven process for the State SWMP.
The CEP development was supported by RRB staff, Eastern Research Group, and the non-profit Stewardship Action Foundation.
What is meant by Circular Economy? The CEP uses the definition created by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation: “The circular economy is a system where materials never become waste and nature is regenerated.” The circular economy is based on three principles:
- Eliminate waste and pollution
- Circulate products and materials (at their highest value)
- Regenerate nature
The CEP explains that a circular economy in New Mexico does not mean eliminating disposal overnight. It means designing systems that reduce waste first, internalize costs, protect workers and communities, and keep materials and economic value circulating within the state for as long as possible (p.iv).
Five overarching strategies were identified to guide the path to a Circular Economy:
- Reduce Illegal Dumping & Environmental Harm
- Internalize End-of-Life Costs through Shared Responsibility
- Strengthen In-State Markets & Infrastructure
- Improve Access and Equity Across Rural and Tribal Communities
- Improve Data, Coordination, and Consistency
Though the CEP does suggest specific materials and actions, it is designed to be a flexible guide rather than strictly prescriptive, as it is impossible to know what fluctuations will happen in recycling materials markets; what new products and packaging will be introduced, and how technology may change processing.
You can check out the CEP here. If you want to let us know what think about the plan, or have ideas to incorporate in the future, leave us a comment here.