Where to Donate Old Magazines in Albuquerque

Short answer: in the Albuquerque metro, bring them to me. I take every kind of magazine, any year, any quantity, through free pickup scheduled by route or my covered 24/7 drop box outside the gate at 5445 Edith Blvd NE. That matters because the usual places say no to back issues: Albuquerque’s public library lists magazines among the donations its branches don’t accept, and the Friends of the Public Library takes only issues less than six months old. Outside the metro, art classrooms, crafters and Buy Nothing groups are your best bet.

Last verified October 2026 · Original research by Josh Eldred

Who Actually Takes Old Magazines

Magazines are one of the hardest things to donate, because nearly every household has a stack and single issues sell for very little. Before you haul boxes around town, here's who tends to say yes:

• Art teachers and classrooms use picture-heavy titles (National Geographic, travel, nature, food) for collage and projects.
• Crafters and collage artists look for vintage ads, fashion and design magazines. A Buy Nothing or neighborhood group post usually finds them.
• Senior centers, shelters and waiting rooms sometimes want recent issues of general-interest titles. Call first; most don't want anything older than a few months.
• Me, in the Albuquerque metro. Any title, any year, any quantity, no sorting. Details below.

Libraries and thrift stores mostly decline back issues (Albuquerque’s library branches don’t accept magazines, and the Friends of the Public Library wants only issues under six months old; I checked both lists October 4, 2026), so a quick call before you load the car will save a wasted trip. The library also turns away encyclopedias, textbooks and books with highlighting, so if a few of those are sitting next to the magazine stack, bring them in the same load.

What Magazines Do I Accept?

All of them: National Geographic, travel, lifestyle, news, hobby, trade and specialty magazines. Recent issues or older collections, one bag or a whole garage. Magazines take up a lot of room, and handing them to me is a simple way to clear it.

I'll be straight about what happens next: most donated magazines are recycled. Before that, I go through them, and the issues people still want, such as older photography titles, regional magazines and specialty publications, go back into circulation.

How Magazine Donations Work

When you donate magazines to me, I sort them by hand and decide whether each one can be resold or has to be recycled. You don't have to pre-sort, bundle or tie anything; loose stacks, grocery bags and boxes are all fine.

It's a one-person operation. I'm the one who texts you back, drives the route, carries the boxes and does the sorting, so a big stack of magazines is a normal load, not a special request.

Ways to Donate Magazines

• Free Pickup (Albuquerque metro): For larger collections I come to your home or business at no cost. Pickups are scheduled by route. Request a free pickup.
• 24/7 Drop Box: Bring magazines any time, day or night, to 5445 Edith Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87107 (Edith & Montaño area, North Valley). Hauling a garage’s worth of back issues? Come between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m., when someone at the warehouse can help you unload. Drop box directions.
• From outside New Mexico: Books and media can be mailed to me (donor-paid). Magazines don't qualify for Media Mail, so for magazines alone, local recycling is usually the better choice.

How to Recycle the Magazines Nobody Wants

Magazines are recyclable in most curbside mixed-paper programs, glossy pages included; the shiny coating is clay, which mills separate during pulping. Pull out plastic wrappers, perfume samples and card inserts first, and keep the stack dry. For a truly large load, a paper drop-off or a pickup is easier than filling your bin week after week.

Inside the City of Albuquerque, the blue-cart acceptable materials list names newspapers and magazines outright, along with junk mail and phone books. The same list rules out plastic bags, so tip the magazines in loose instead of bagging them. Books are on that list too, though a readable one is worth more donated than pulped; see book recycling in Albuquerque for how the two fit together.

Important Information About Donations

I'm a for-profit business, and I never buy magazines or books. Magazine donations are not tax-deductible, though I can give you a written acknowledgment of what you donated if you ask. If you just want your old magazines gone and handled responsibly, that's what I do.

I accept magazines in any condition, though dry, readable copies are the most useful. Questions about a specific collection? Text 505-250-3804 or email hello@newmexicoliteracyproject.org. I'm glad to help you figure out the easiest way to clear a big collection.