Austin Curbside Recycling Guide: Accepted Materials List & Preparation

Navigating curbside recycling can sometimes feel complicated, but understanding Austin’s specific guidelines is crucial for making a positive impact. Every item placed in your blue cart affects the efficiency and effectiveness of the city’s entire recycling system.

Why Austin’s Recycling Guidelines Matter

Austin is committed to diverting waste from landfills, and your participation in the curbside recycling program is a key part of that goal. When non-recyclable items, or recyclables prepared incorrectly, enter the system, it leads to contamination. Contamination can damage sorting equipment, decrease the quality of recycled materials, and even cause entire batches of otherwise good recyclables to be sent to the landfill. By following Austin Resource Recovery’s guidelines, you help ensure that recyclable materials are effectively processed and given a new life, supporting a more sustainable Austin.

Accepted Curbside Materials: The Austin ‘Yes’ List

To help you recycle correctly, here’s a definitive guide to what is accepted in Austin’s blue recycling carts. Always ensure items are empty, clean, and dry.

Paper & Cardboard

• Cardboard: Corrugated cardboard boxes (like shipping boxes) and paperboard (like cereal or tissue boxes). Flatten all boxes to save space.
• Paper: Newspapers, magazines, catalogs, junk mail, office paper, envelopes (including window envelopes), phone books, paperback books (remove hardcovers), and paper bags.

Metal Cans

• Aluminum Cans: Soda cans, beer cans, and other aluminum beverage cans.
• Steel/Tin Cans: Food cans (e.g., soup, vegetable cans). Labels do not need to be removed.

Rigid Plastic Bottles, Jugs & Tubs

• Plastic Containers: Look for rigid plastic items that have a neck smaller than their base. This typically includes plastic bottles (soda, water), milk jugs, detergent bottles, and plastic tubs (yogurt, butter, sour cream, cottage cheese). Rinse them clean and replace caps to ensure small caps are recycled.

Glass Bottles & Jars

• Glass: All colors of glass bottles and jars (e.g., food jars, beverage bottles). Lids should be removed and can be recycled if they are metal (placed with metal cans) or if they are rigid plastic caps attached to plastic bottles. Rinse glass containers.

What NOT to Recycle Curbside: The Austin ‘No’ List

Knowing what to keep out of your blue cart is just as important as knowing what to put in. These items can cause significant problems.

Common Contaminants

• Plastic Bags & Plastic Film: Plastic grocery bags, dry cleaning bags, newspaper sleeves, plastic wrap, and other flexible plastic films. These items jam sorting machinery. They are generally collected separately at grocery stores.
• Styrofoam: All forms of Styrofoam, including cups, plates, packing peanuts, and takeout containers.
• Food Waste & Liquids: Items with significant food residue or liquids. This contaminates other recyclables, especially paper.

Items That Jam Equipment

• Hoses, Wires & Chains: Garden hoses, Christmas lights, extension cords, clothes hangers, and other tanglers. These wrap around sorting equipment.
• Small Items: Items smaller than a credit card tend to fall through sorting machinery and end up as trash.

Hazardous Materials & Electronics

• Electronics (E-waste): Computers, TVs, cell phones, batteries, and other electronic devices contain hazardous materials and require special recycling programs.
• Hazardous Waste: Paint, chemicals, motor oil, medical waste, and pressurized cylinders should never be placed in your recycling cart. Austin offers Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) disposal options.

Optimal Preparation for Accepted Recyclables

Proper preparation ensures your efforts actually result in recycled materials:

• Empty, Clean, and Dry: Rinse all food and beverage containers to remove residue. This prevents odors and contamination.
• Flatten Cardboard: Break down cardboard boxes to save space in your cart and aid in processing.
• Replace Caps: For plastic bottles and jugs, put the cap back on after rinsing. This helps small caps get recycled with the bottle rather than falling through machinery.
• Loose in the Cart: Place all recyclables directly into the blue cart. Never put them in plastic bags, as these bags are considered contaminants and can cause the entire bag’s contents to be sent to the landfill.

Disposing of Non-Curbside Items in Austin

For items not accepted in your blue cart, Austin provides alternative disposal and recycling options:

• Plastic Film: Many local grocery stores (e.g., H-E-B, Central Market, Target, Walmart) have drop-off bins for plastic bags and film. Verify locations and accepted materials at store entrances.
• Electronics & Batteries: Austin Resource Recovery offers free electronics recycling at its Recycle & Reuse Drop-Off Center. Check their website for accepted items and operating hours.
• Household Hazardous Waste (HHW): The Recycle & Reuse Drop-Off Center also accepts HHW, including paint, chemicals, and automotive fluids, by appointment.
• Textiles: Look for local textile recycling programs or donation centers for clothing, linens, and other fabrics that are no longer usable.
• Small Scrap Metal: Small metal items not cans (like cookware) may be accepted at the Recycle & Reuse Drop-Off Center or local scrap metal recyclers.

How to Verify in Austin Today

When in doubt about a specific item, it’s always best to verify directly with Austin Resource Recovery to ensure you’re recycling correctly.

1. Check Austin Resource Recovery’s Official Website: Visit the Austin Resource Recovery website (austintexas.gov/department/austin-resource-recovery) and look for their comprehensive ‘What Do I Do With…?’ search tool or detailed ‘Recycling & Composting’ sections. This is regularly updated with the most accurate information.
2. Consult the Austin Resource Recovery App or Guide: Download the Austin Resource Recovery app or refer to the printed recycling guides often mailed to residents. These resources typically include a searchable database or illustrated list of accepted and unaccepted materials.
3. Contact Austin Resource Recovery Directly: For unique or unusual items not clearly covered, call Austin Resource Recovery’s customer service line. Their staff can provide specific guidance.

Making the Right Recycling Choices: A Quick Checklist

Before tossing something into your blue cart, run through these quick questions:

• Is this item on Austin Resource Recovery’s official accepted list for curbside recycling?
• Is the item completely empty, clean, and dry of all food or liquid residue?
• Is it a rigid plastic container (bottle, jug, tub) with a neck smaller than its base, or is it paper, cardboard, metal, or glass?
• Is it placed loose in the blue cart, not inside any type of plastic bag?
• Is it larger than a credit card to avoid falling through sorting machinery?

Avoiding Common Recycling Errors in Austin

Steer clear of these frequent mistakes to boost Austin’s recycling efficiency:

• Placing accepted recyclables inside plastic bags, which jams sorting machinery and leads to entire loads being sent to landfill.
• “Wishcycling” - putting items into the blue cart hoping they are recyclable without verifying, leading to significant contamination.
• Failing to thoroughly empty and rinse food/liquid residue from containers, which can contaminate entire bales of paper and other materials.
• Attempting to recycle non-accepted items like plastic film, Styrofoam, clothing, garden hoses, or electronics in the blue cart.
• Placing small, loose items (e.g., bottle caps not attached to bottles, shredded paper not bagged in a paper bag) directly in the cart, causing them to fall through sorting screens and become trash.

Frequently Asked Questions about Austin Recycling

Can I recycle shredded paper in Austin’s blue cart?

Yes, but with a specific method. Place shredded paper inside a paper bag (like a lunch sack) and then place that bag into your blue recycling cart. This prevents small shreds from scattering and falling through sorting equipment.

Do I need to remove labels from containers before recycling?

No, it is not necessary to remove labels from metal, plastic, or glass containers. The recycling process is designed to handle labels.

What if an item has a recycling symbol, but isn’t on Austin’s list?

The recycling symbol (chasing arrows) on plastic items often indicates the type of plastic resin, not necessarily that it is accepted in all local curbside programs. Always prioritize Austin Resource Recovery’s official accepted materials list over general recycling symbols.