Recycling Collection Guidelines

Recycle the following items at the curb:

Place the following items in your green bin. Remember items must be clean, empty and dry before going in the bin!

Aluminum cans - Soda cans are a valuable recyclable and can be back on the shelf in as little as 60 days. Please rinse and dry!

Food cans - Tin/Steel cans are a high value item. Rinse food out please! You can leave the paper wrapping on.

Paper and Cardboard items. Newspapers, magazines, coupons, junk mail and envelopes, flattened cereal and cardboard boxes, phone books, etc., will be collected.

• Cardboard boxes must be flattened and placed under the bin. Tape still on them is fine.
• Window envelopes and glossy papers are fine.

Glass bottles/jars - All glass bottles, regardless of color, may be recycled. Please rinse all bottles and jars and remove caps and lids. No auto/window glass allowed.

Plastic Bottles - Water and soda bottles are extremely valuable in the recycling stream. Always recycle these rinsed and dried!

Juice/Milk Cartons - Cartons are made of a special coated paperboard that is accepted in recycling streams. Please rinse and dry!

Plastic Bags - Plastic grocery bags get caught in recycling equipment and cause down time. You can get cloth, reusable grocery bags to reduce use of plastic bags. Take plastic bags back to your local grocery store.

Batteries - Batteries regularly cause fires in recycling trucks and facilities. Dispose of them at one of our Household Hazardous Waste events or the Environmental Collection Center (ECC) in Fort Worth.

Styrofoam Packaging - Dense Styrofoam packaging can be recycled by taking to a collection center that accepts Styrofoam. Please see the Recycling Resource Guide for recommendations. Typically, packing peanuts are not accepted.

Florescent Light Bulbs - Various types of light bulbs are recyclable but must be dropped off at a participating retailer. Dispose at Lowes, Home Depot, or the Environmental Collection Center in Fort Worth.

Food Waste - Never put food waste in your recycle bin. Try composting.

Clothes - Clothes can be reused or recycled into a variety of products, but must be taken to a drop-off location.

Electronics - We offer electronic recycling events throughout the year, or you can bring the electronic was to the Grand Prairie Landfill.

Clothing and Furniture - Donate to a charity! For large furniture waste, call 817-261-8812 to schedule a bulky item pick up.

Electronics (View electronics recycling information) 

Food and wet waste - Food contaminated items such as:

• Paper plates and napkins
• Pizza boxes
• Chip bags
• Frozen food bags
• Clam shell containers - such as berry containers

Glass and Ceramics - While glass as a category is recyclable, drinking glasses and window glass panes are typically not accepted and belong in the trash. Ceramic items may have an extended life if taken to a reuse store, otherwise they belong in the trash.

• Dishes
• Plates
• Bowls
• Ceramic Items
• Windows
• Auto Glass
• Mirrors
• Flower Pots
• Incandescent light bulbs

Hazardous or toxic product containers (View Household Hazardous Waste disposal information)

Medical waste

• Needles
• Syringes
• Lancets

Plastic Items - While many thick plastics are accepted, some plastic is considered dangerous for the recycling facility.

• Plastic Bags - Many grocery stores like Wal-Mart, Tom Thumb and Kroger offer plastic bag recycling stations
• Plastic toys
• Plastic and metal hangers  - consider donating them to a local charity!

Propane tanks - Very dangerous for many reasons. Take these back to a vendor.

Shredded Paper - Shredded paper can be bagged and disposed of in regular trash.  Or, bring documents to one of our Shred Day events.

Styrofoam - Dense Styrofoam packaging can be recycled by taking back to a drop-off location. Typically, packing peanuts are not accepted

• Styrofoam containers
• Styrofoam peanuts
• Styrofoam packing

Wire and Cable - Take these items to an electronic retail store (staples, best buy, etc.)

Wrapping Paper/Gift Bags - Wrapping paper is typically coated with foil, glitter, or other items. Put wrapping paper in the trash. For a more sustainable wrapping paper option, use craft paper or newspaper instead.

• Residents must use an 18-gallon green bin for collection of recyclables.
• Recyclables do not need to be separated — bottles and jars, plastic bottles and jugs, aluminum cans, steel cans, newspapers, magazines, phone books, junk mail and boxes may go in together.
• Bins may be used for all recyclables. However, brown paper sacks may still be used for paper items such as newspapers, magazines, phone books and junk mail.
• Cardboard boxes need to be flattened and placed under the bin

How to be a Better Recycler - What Goes in the Bin?(PDF, 5MB)

If you are interested in recycling items other than paper, glass, cardboard, aluminum or plastic and have a significant amount of such item(s), please visit www.timetorecycle.com, a website sponsored by the North Texas Council of Governments in order to find a place to take your item(s) or visit www.freecycle.org, which is a community supported resource and is free.

Commercial bag service customers are also eligible to participate in the curbside program by subscribing online. After subscribing, an 18-gallon green plastic bin is delivered to the business within a few weeks. Business recycling will then be picked up curbside once each week. The fee for this convenience is $2 per month.