How to do curbside recycling in Austin

aka, What goes in which cart?

by Michael Bluejay • Original: 6/20/24 • Last update: 6/27/24
not an official page of the City of Austin

Why it matters

Bad items in the recycle can cause a whole batch to not get recycled. The companies that buy the materials might stop buying from the City because the collections are too contaminated, or the recyclers buy them for pennies on the dollar and then dump everything into the ocean.
The City makes mulch out of compostables. If you throw plastic in the compost cart, then we get plastics in our soil.
When metals get thrown away instead of recycled, that means more mountains have to be blown up to mine the metals. There are only so many mountains.

plastic-bag	Plastic bag (clean and dry, no paper labels)	not ready	The City doesn't recycle plastic bags. You can recycle clean, dry plastic bags at grocery stores like HEB.Dirty plastic bags go in the trash.Remove paper labels from bags.Frozen food bags and food wrap (Saran wrap) are made from a different kind of material and go in the trash.
plastic-bag-with-labels	Plastic bag with paper label(s) attached	not ready	Pull or cut the paper labels, then take them to a grocery store like HEB, or take them to the City's drop-off facility. The City doesn't pick them up curbside, and doesn't want them in the recycle cart, because they tangle up the sorting equipment.
plastic-bag-of-cans	Plastic bag of aluminum cans	not ready	The City doesn't want plastic bags in the recycle cart, they tangle the equipment. Put the cans in the recycle cart, and recycle the plastic bag at HEB.
frozen-food-bag	Frozen food bags	trash	Get a <a href=https://ridwell.com/ target=_blank>Ridwell</a> pick-up subscription or throw away.Even though they're marked "plastic bag", the City won't take them at their drop-off center, because the company they sell the materials to won't take them.
saran-wrap	Plastic wrap (Saran wrap)	trash	This is a different kind of plastic than regular plastic bags, and can't be recycled.
blue-amazon-mailer	Blue Amazon mailers	other	Even though they're marked "plastic bag", the City won't take them at their drop-off center, because the company they sell the materials to won't take them.Either get a <a href=https://ridwell.com/ target=_blank>Ridwell</a> pick-up subscription or throw away.
aluminum-can	Aluminum cans	recycle	
foil-with-food	Aluminum foil with food or napkins inside	not ready	Separate the items. Ball up the aluminum foil (no food or anything else inside) to at least 2".
food-can	Food cans, rinsed but not washed	recycle	Rinse first (don't have to be washed)
scrap-metal	Scrap metal	other	The City doesn't pick it up. Take it to a <a href=https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=scrap+metal+near+me target=_blank>scrap metal yard</a> like Austin Metal at 1000 E. 4th St.If it's a large item, set it at the curb and scrap collectors will likely see it and take it.Also, the City picks up scrap metal at the curb twice a year as part of Bulk Collection, <a href=https://www.austintexas.gov/myschedule target=_blank>see the schedule</a> for your address.Otherwise, throw it away.
old-food	Old food	compost	Put only the food (not the container) in the green compost cart.
pizza-box	Empty pizza box	compost	The City doesn't want pizza boxes in the recycle cart, presumably because the grease contaminates a batch of cardboard, or because food remnants attract rats.
pizza-box-with-plastic	Pizza box with plastic dipping containers	not ready	Throw away the plastic containers (too small for the recycling sorter to pick up), and throw the empty box in the green compost cart.
container-with-food	Container with food in it	not ready	Empty the food into the green compost cart. If the container is glass or plastic, rinse it and put it in the blue cart.If the container was plastic wrap, through it away.If the container was Styrofoam, throw it away, unless you're willing to clean it and take it to te City's drop-off center. (They don't pick up Styrofoam.)
banana-peel-with-sticker	Food/peels with sticker(s) on it	not ready	Throw away the sticker, then put the food waste in the green compost bin.
bottle-with-lid	Glass jar with metal lid	not ready	Remove the lid and put both the lid and the jar in the blue recycle cart.Metal and glass gets processed separately at the sorting facility.If the magnet picks up a jar still attached to the glass, they have to stop the machine to remove the jar.
plastic-bottle-with-cap	Plastic bottle with cap attached	recycle	Plastic caps don't have to be removed. Rinse containers first (don't have to be washed).
plastic-bottle-cap	Plastic bottle cap	other	Screw it back onto the bottle and put the bottle in the recycle cart.Caps alone are too small to be picked up by the sorting equipment.If you no longer have the bottle, throw the cap away.
bread-tags	Bread bag tags	trash	The City doesn't pick up. There's a service called <a href=https://ridwell.com/ target=_blank>Ridwell</a> that takes them, for a fee. Otherwise, throw them away.
cereal	Paperboard (e.g., cereal boxes)	recycle	
flattened-box	Flattened cardboard	recycle	
unflattened-box	Unflattened box	not ready	Flatten the box first, then put it in the blue recycling cart.
brown-mailer	Brown mailer with label attached	recycle	Labels are fine. Make sure it's marked "paper bag" (i.e., not plastic bubbles inside). If it has plastic bubbles, throw it away.
manilla-envelope-with-plastic	Manilla envelopes with plastic bubbles	trash	Nobody accepts these for recycling.
newspaper	Newspaper, magazines	recycle	
wrapping-paper	Wrapping paper	recycle	
junk-mail	Paper, paper junk mail	recycle	
envelope-with-plastic-window	Envelopes with plastic windows	recycle	The plastic windows are okay.
stapled-paper	Paper with staples	recycle	The staples are okay.
toilet-paper-roll	Toilet paper rolls	recycle	
battery	Batteries	other	Rechargeable batteries can be recycled at Home Depot. The City takes non-rechargeable battteries at its drop-off facility. If you won't go to the facility, then put them in the trash.
light-bulb	Light bulbs	other	The City takes electronics at its drop-off facility. If you won't go to the facility, put it in the trash.
plastic-utensils	Plastic utensils	trash	Nobody accepts these for recycling.
styrofoam-peanuts	Styrofoam peanuts	other	There's no way to recycle these. Give them away on Nextdoor, or throw them away.
styrofoam	Styrofoam	other	The City doesn't pick this up and doesn't want it in the recycling cart.There's a service called <a ref=https://ridwell.com/ target=_blank>Ridwell</a> that takes it, for a fee.The City also accepts it at its drop-off facility.If you won't take it to the drop-off center and won't pay Ridwell, then throw it away.
milk-container	Milk / soup / non-dairy milk containers	trash	Nobody accepts these for recycling.

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