Salt Lake City

Sustainability

Contact SLCgreen (801) 535-6470 | slcgreen@slcgov.com

Recycling Can

What Can I Put in My Curbside Recycling Container?

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Accepted recycling materials: boxes, cans, cardboard, paper, plastic containers, paper bags, books
Recycling bin flyer


Download the full Salt Lake City curbside services brochure.

Haga clic aquí para descargar el folleto completo de servicios en la acera de Salt Lake City en español.

Curbside Recycling 

Maintaining a robust recycling program is a core function of Salt Lake City’s Sustainability Department. However, in 2018, the recycling world was shaken up by changes announced by China, which has affected recycling facilities worldwide. This includes local Utah processors used by Salt Lake City (read more on the SLCgreen blog).

The principles of 1) Reduce 2) Reuse and then 3) Recycle are more important than ever.


What materials can be recycled in your curbside recycling?

Please help us by only putting the correct items in your blue container. The following restrictions are now in effect for Salt Lake City curbside bins:

  • Please do not put plastic bags, films, or wraps of any kind in the blue container. (Learn more)
  • Do not enclose recyclables in plastic bags or kitchen bin liners (i.e. do not “bag your recyclables.”) This will prevent your items from being recycled.
  • No expanded polystyrene (“Styrofoam“)
  • No shredded paper.

Yes!

  • Newspaper and newspaper inserts
  • Cardboard boxes, shoe boxes, cereal boxes, paper tubes
  • Magazines and phone books
  • Aluminum cans
  • Steel (tin) food cans
  • Plastic containers (like milk jugs, plastic bottles, plastic cups, yogurt containers, etc)
  • Junk mail, office paper, envelopes
  • Aerosol cans – please make sure they are drained by turning them upside down and releasing the pressure.

No!

  • Glass (Sign up for curbside glass recycling or take yours to a community drop-off location.)
  • Food, food residue, or food wrappings – empty all food and food residue from containers
  • Napkins, paper towels, toilet paper, paper plates
  • Aseptic cartons (these are shelf-stable cartons. Some are known as “TetraPaks”)
  • Clothing
  • Electronics, computers, small appliances
  • Yard waste
  • Toys, garden hoses, plastic swimming pools
  • Home improvement/construction materials
  • Plastic bags (learn why here)
  • Styrofoam – including take-out containers and block foam.
  • Shredded paper



Recycling by the Numbers 

June 2019 Recycling Statistics