FREQUENTLY
ASKED
QUESTIONS

For safety’s sake, we can’t dispose of hazardous household waste, including gasoline, oil/gas mixtures, liquid paint, petroleum products, pesticides, herbicides, solvents, and thinners. Please never place these items into your trash or recycling containers. Instead, call Lane County Waste Management at 541-682-4120 for information on how to dispose of these items through the Household Hazardous Waste program.

Nope—toss those clean recyclables straight into the cart. Bags are a no-no because they gum up the works at the recycling facility.

It’s a bummer, but no—block styrofoam, the kind that protects fragile goods and electronics, cannot be recycled. If you have the space, hang onto it for next time you need to mail a breakable birthday present.

Packing peanuts can’t be recycled either, but they can often be rehomed. Check in with local shipping companies—they might welcome your cast-off peanuts!

Please keep sod and rocks (that goes for big rocks, small rocks, and even pet rocks) out of your yard cart. They’ll contaminate the contents—and that’s a no-no. For help hauling them off, call our office 541-607-2042 or send us a message.

Unfortunately, Apex cannot accept commercially generated hazardous waste. But we know who can help! Call Lane County Waste Management at 541-682-4120 for local disposal options.

We do! Most of our containers have built-in locking bars (sorry, raccoons). Need to lock up your roll carts? We’re happy to do that too. At Apex, you’ll never pay for a lock—they’re always compliments of the house.

Yes! Smaller (flattened) cardboard items can go right in the cart (so break down those boxes). But if you have a heap of cardboard, here’s what to do: break it down, cut it into pieces less than 3' x 3' (about the length of a guitar), and stack it next to your cart at the curb. Remember to chuck any non-recyclable packing material into the regular blue trash cart.

Propane tanks are hazardous waste, so we can’t pick them up. Contact Lane County Waste Management to find out where you can drop off your tank.

Sharps (things like lancets and syringes) must be stored in approved biohazard containers—that’s a mandate from the state of Oregon. Never place sharps in the regular trash!

For sharps removal options, contact Lane County Waste Management at 541-682-4120 or call your local pharmacy for storage and disposal solutions.

Afraid not. Think about it the same way you think about your cell phone bill. Each month you pay a fee to have the service, which includes a set amount of talk time and internet usage—no matter how much of it you use. If you go over those set amounts, you pay a little more. With your trash & recycling service, it works the same way.

We want to provide you with the most exceptional service possible, so if you’re consistently rolling out carts with a lot of leftover space, call us to adjust your service for the just-right fit!

Sorting out recyclables from throw-out-ables can get a little tricky. Here’s a handy list of items that commonly confuse our customers. These all belong in the trash or require special handling:

• Garden: flowers, plants, yard debris, bird seed, dirt, weed cover (all that goes in your gray yard debris cart!)
• Home improvement: barbecue grills, wood, drywall, air conditioner filters, insulation, paint cans, oil, house siding, rags, broom handles, air mattresses, carpets, padding, rugs (if you’re DIYing, you might want a temporary cleanup container)
• Household: napkins, furniture, window blinds, screens, pillows, shower curtains, towels, welcome mats, blankets, sheets
• Personal items: backpacks, clothing, shoes, stuffed animals, toys (remember to donate anything that has life left in it)
• Cleaning supplies: dryer sheets, lint, vacuum bags, sponges
• Electronics: satellite dishes, power strips, neon lights, electronics, car speakers
• Miscellaneous: full bottles of soda, ash trays/ashes/cigarettes, diapers, styrofoam, quarts of oil, bags of trash, cat box/litter, vinyl bags, pottery, porcelain, human & animal hair
• Food: Put those compostable scraps in the gray cart, not the recycling!
• Certain plastics: If it’s not a clear plastic beverage container or milk jug, leave it out—we can’t accept other plastics like jugs, tubs, or other containers of any kind

For more instructions and a detailed list of items that can and cannot be recycled, check out the recycling guide.

While the red bin can hold glass and motor oil (tightly sealed!), please don’t chuck in broken glass, ceramic dishes, mirrors, light bulbs, antifreeze, solvents, gasoline, or cooking oils. Need help getting rid of those items? Give us a call.

For more instructions and a detailed list of items that can and cannot be recycled, check out the recycling guide.