Transparency
Where your stuff actually goes
No greenwashing, no charity halo I haven't earned. Abq Reclaimed is one person — me, Josh Eldred — picking up the resale-worthy share of Albuquerque clear-outs free, by request, reselling what has a second life and routing the rest. It's for-profit, so pickups aren't tax-deductible, and I don't pay cash. Here's the honest story — and exactly what I do and don't promise.
A lot of haulers and collectors are vague about what happens after they take your stuff. I'd rather just tell you straight, because trust is the whole point of letting someone haul off your stuff.
I'm a for-profit reuse business — and that's good for you
Abq Reclaimed isn't a 501(c)(3) charity, so a pickup with me isn't tax-deductible. Here's the honest version: I'm paid for a real service — rescuing things with genuine demand from the waste stream and getting them to people who actually want them. That value would have been buried otherwise. Getting paid for it is exactly what lets me offer pickup for free and absorb the cost of recycling what can't be sold. My incentive (recover as much value as possible) lines up with yours (keep good stuff out of the trash). And instead of a tax receipt nobody reads, I send you something better: a Reclaim Receipt telling you exactly where your stuff went. If a write-off is what you're after, a registered charity is the better fit — no hard feelings.
One person, honest limits
It's just me, with the same limited time and space as anyone — so the fastest, fairest way to start is to text me a photo or two first at (505) 250-3804. A picture lets me tell you quickly what's worth a trip, and lets me be honest when something isn't. I don't promise anything sight-unseen; I can't save everything, and sometimes I'll have to say no — but I'll always tell you straight instead of leaving you waiting.
What happens to everything you give me
- 1. I triage your photos first Before I come, I look at what you texted me and tell you honestly what I take free, what a charity or the City takes, and what needs a paid hauler. Nothing gets hauled sight-unseen, and nothing I can't use ends up dumped on me or on you.
- 2. I collect the resale-worthy share Just what we agreed on — loaded by hand, with a trailer, and a forklift for suitable loads by arrangement — and kept dry on the way back. Value hides in places you wouldn't guess, so a "dead" sewing machine or drum machine still gets a real look for parts.
- 3. I resell & rehome the good stuff Items that can be used again are sold and rehomed so they stay in use. Reuse is the single best outcome for anything.
- 4. I pass the rest to other reuse and recycling partners Goods I can't resell or rehome — dead electronics, scrap metal — go to other reuse and recycling partners, so they get another shot instead of going straight to the trash.
- 5. The small share that truly can't be saved Wet, moldy, or contaminated items can't be reused or recycled — they'd spoil everything around them. I'm honest that this share exists; my whole process is built to keep it as small as possible.
Where your stuff went — in writing
Here's the part no thrift store offers: because I handle every pickup by hand, I can tell you what happened to your things. After pickup, I send you a Reclaim Receipt — a short note naming where the main pieces ended up. No commingled bins, no black box. Just the truth.
My commitments to you
What I'll never claim
- That I'm a charity, or that your pickup is tax-deductible. (I'm not, and it isn't.)
- That literally 100% of everything avoids the landfill. I keep as much out as I possibly can, and I won't pretend the unsalvageable share doesn't exist.
- That your stuff does more good than it does. I'd rather under-promise and over-deliver.
That's the whole deal: an easy, free way to clear out a garage, a move or a parent's house, run by one person who actually wants your stuff to get a second life — and who'll tell you where it went. Want the step-by-step from your side? See how it works or how a whole-house clear-out works.
Common questions
Is Abq Reclaimed a charity or a business?
Abq Reclaimed is a for-profit reuse business, not a 501(c)(3) charity. That means pickups are not tax-deductible. Reselling the resalable items is what lets me offer pickup for free and cover the cost of recycling the rest. Instead of a tax receipt, after pickup I send a Reclaim Receipt telling you where the main pieces went.
What happens to things you can't resell?
Dead electronics go to e-waste recycling, metal is reclaimed as scrap, and anything else I can't use goes to the best reuse or recycling option I can find. Worn-out or everyday clothing, linens and rags aren't part of a pickup at all, and I don't do textile recycling; quality clothing and shoes are resold like everything else. Only wet, moldy, or contaminated items can't be saved.
Does everything you collect avoid the landfill?
No, and I won't claim it does. I keep as much as I reasonably can in use, because resale is how I cover the trip, but wet, moldy, or contaminated items can't be salvaged. My whole model is built to keep that share as small as possible.