Austin Resource Recovery provides curbside collection of recycling to single-family households up to four-plexes in Austin. Place mixed paper, hard plastic (no bags), metal and glass directly in your blue recycling cart; no sorting is required!

Keep these items out of your blue recycling cart

 

Plastic bags, trash bags, plastic film and wrap

Plastic bags and film: keep out of blue cart

 

What do I do with it?

Some local retailers and stores accept these items for recycling— check our What Do I Do With tool to find a location near you.

Styrofoam

Packing peanuts and other items made of Styrofoam shown with a red x through it.

 

What do I do with it?

Drop these items off at the Recycle & Reuse Drop-off Center to be recycled or disposed of safely. 

 

Batteries 

A close up of batteries shown with a big red X through it.

 

 

What do I do with it?

Drop these items off at the Recycle & Reuse Drop-off Center to be recycled or disposed of safely.

 

Electronics

Laptops, cell phones, desktop computers and many other electronics are shown with a red x through it.

 

What do I do with it?

Drop these items off at the Recycle & Reuse Drop-off Center to be recycled or disposed of safely. 

 

Other items

 

Image of Styrofoam, clothing, plastic bags, wood and garden hoses

What do I do with it?

Search for the below items using the What Do I Do With tool for proper recycling and disposal.

  • Water hoses
  • Textiles
  • Clothing and housewares
  • Wood
  • Medical waste (e.g. syringes and sharp containers)
  • Sealed gas containers such as propane and helium tanks
  • Partially full or full aerosol cans (empty aerosol cans can be recycled)

Put these items in your blue recycling cart

Paper

A close-up image of shredded paper, newspaper, paper bags, etc.

  • Glossy paper
  • Junk mail/envelopes
  • Catalogs/magazines
  • Newspapers
  • Non-foil wrapping paper
 

Hard Plastic (no bags)

 

Hard plastic chair, plastic laundry basket, plastic toy dinosaur, etc.

  • Water/soda bottles
  • Jars/tubs
  • Non-battery toys
  • Buckets/baskets
  • Lawn chairs
 

Metals

An assortment of metals such as aluminum tray, cans and foil.

  • Steel and tin cans
  • Aluminum foil baking pans
  • Aluminum foil (balled 2 inches or larger)

 

 

Glass

An assortment of glass like a glass bottle, pitcher, and jar.

  • Jars and caps (labels can be left on containers)
  • Bottles and bottle caps (labels can be left on containers)

 

 
   

Cardboard

An assortment of flattened cardboard like cereal, pizza and shoe boxes.


(All cardboard boxes should be broken down into roughly 2'x2' squares. Use the lid of your recycling cart as a size guide.)

  • Toilet paper/
    paper towel rolls
  • Boxes
 

Collection guidelines

  • Place your recycling cart at the curb by 5:30 a.m. on your collection day. (The set-out time has been shifted to an hour earlier to minimize workers' exposure to the extreme summer heat.)
  • Place trash, recyclables and compost five feet apart to allow our automated trucks to collect materials safely and efficiently.
  • Do not bag recycling.
  • Did we miss your cart? Call Austin Resource Recovery at 3-1-1 or send us an e-mail within two days of the missed collection. We will come by to pick up the missed material as soon as possible. 
  • Extra recycling is collected at no extra charge. Extra recycling that does not fit into your blue cart with the lid closed should be placed next to your cart in a reusable container or a cardboard box no larger than your cart (use the lid of your recycling cart as a size guide). If you would like to request an additional blue cart, free of charge, call 512-494-9400.
  • Return trip recycling collection service can be scheduled for a fee of $20.50. Call 3-1-1 or send us an e-mail to schedule. 

Keep contamination out of your blue cart