Recycling Guide

We now accept plastic bottles, jugs, and jars made from #1, #2, or #5 plastic. That includes beverage bottles, shampoo and soap containers, cleaning product jugs, and condiment jars. Just be sure to rinse them out before they hit the bin — clean containers keep our system running smoothly.

Smaller (flattened) cardboard items, including clean pizza boxes, 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.

Lightweight packaging like cereal boxes, cracker boxes, and medicine boxes can go straight in the recycling bin. Just remove any liners or plastic windows and flatten the box before tossing it in.

Newspaper, scrap paper, printer paper, junk mail—don’t throw it out, recycle it!

You can now recycle softcover paper products such as telephone directories, paperback books, magazines, catalogs, and other glossy paper formats. If it’s bound and made of paper, it belongs in the recycling, not the trash.

Tissue paper that’s used to cushion gifts or packages (the soft, crinkly kind) can now be recycled. Just make sure it’s clean and not metallic or glittery. Please don’t include facial tissue, paper towels, or sanitary tissue — those still go in the trash.

From soda cans to soup tins, if it’s aluminum and once held food or drink, it’s a yes from us. Just give them a rinse and make sure they’re clean before recycling.

Tinfoil is gold for the recycling plant! Just make sure it’s free of any food debris.

Steel cans — including empty and completely dried-out paint cans — can now be recycled. Make sure they’re clean and dry before they go in your collection bin. For full or partially filled paint cans, reach out and we’ll help you dispose of them safely.

Tidy up and toss in those bulky plastics — as long as they’re made of HDPE (#2) or polypropylene (#5), they’re welcome. Think paint pails, storage bins, and similar household plastics. These items MUST fit loosely in your collection cart.

Just back from the garden center? Clean nursery pots and plant trays made of HDPE (#2) or PP (#5) can now be recycled curbside. Dirt-free and ready to go.

Clean, molded pulp items — like egg cartons or the protective packaging used for electronics or wine — are now accepted. Just make sure they’re free of food residue. Please note: we can’t accept molded pulp food serviceware or pulp flower pots at this time.

Empty milk cartons, juice boxes, and shelf-stable soup cartons are all accepted. These include both polycoated cartons and aseptic containers. Just rinse them out and toss them in.

We now accept small scrap metal items — as long as they weigh under 10 pounds and are shorter than 18 inches. For everyone’s safety, no sharp items or “tanglers” like bicycle chains or wire, please. Think safe, solid, and easy to lift.

If it’s not a #1, #2, or #5 plastic bottle, jug, or jar, it doesn’t belong in your cart. Skip the clamshells, trays, tubs, utensils, and anything else that doesn’t match those categories — and if you’re not sure, it’s safer to leave it out.

Save all the yard debris for your grey debris cart!

Any paper or takeout container items that have food residue must go into trash, not the recycling.

Paper that has a waxy coating—used in most frozen food boxes to protect against moisture—can’t be recycled.

Garbage in the green bin? No way! That includes everything from paper towels to dryer sheets to old clothes and linens.

Don’t toss that trashed TV out with the recyclables. For all your old electronics, call us for disposal options.

While you can’t recycle old backpacks or button-downs, consider donating them to local nonprofits. Scroll down for options!

Pet litter, doggie droppings, full bottles of liquid, food scraps, lumber, and household items cannot be recycled. Have a question about something not listed here? Reach out and let us help you find the correct bin or disposal method for junk of every kind!

These can't be recycled. Snip the rings (turtles will thank you) and put these in the garbage.

We can't recycle bubble wrap and packaging—but your local shipping store might take it off your hands.

If it’s not a plastic jug, bottle or jar, leave it out—we can’t accept other plastics. Plastic containers that can't be recycled can go out with the regular trash (as long as they fit in your bin).

Empty pill bottles must go in the regular trash, not your recycling cart. And FYI, if you have leftover meds to dispose of, those are hazardous waste (yes, even over-the-counter stuff)! Contact your pharmacy or call Lane County Waste Management at 541-682-4120 for options. And please, don't flush them down the toilet—that's bad news for our local waterways.

As long as they're not rechargeable, you can dump dead alkaline batteries into the trash, but not the recycling.

All non-alkaline batteries need special handling—including batteries for your laptop or other devices. To recycle button, rechargeable alkaline, ni-Cad, lithium, and silver oxide batteries, contact Lane County Waste Management at 541-682-4120 or check with battery and electronic stores.

These can't be recycled, so go ahead and put them in your trash cart.

Shrink wrap can't be recycled, but you're free and clear to throw it out in the trash.

Sorry, rechargeable batteries need special handling, so keep them out of your recycling and your trash bins. To dispose of them safely, contact Lane County Waste Management at 541-682-4120 or check with battery and electronic stores.

Make sure they’re rinsed and clean!

Put your cast-off car motor oil in an unbreakable one-gallon container with a tight screw-on lid. No more than two gallons a week, please.

Sweep sharp shards into the trash—they can’t go to the recycling facility. Safety first!

These contain material other than glass, so if you’re tired of your own reflection, donate your mirror to a thrift store instead of the recycling bin.

The stuff inside that glass globe is not recyclable! Recycle bulbs safely by contacting Lane County Hazardous Waste Disposal.

These are hazardous materials we can’t recycle—Lane County Hazardous Waste Disposal can handle them for you.

Other than the three car fluids listed above—motor oil, transmission fluid, or hydraulic oil—all other oils must stay out of the recycling.