A Guide to Recycling in Austin

Recycling can be confusing. You can’t recycle pizza boxes but you can recycle some toys in your city-issued, blue recycling bin, for example. And, it seems the rules are always changing – the city just started allowing food and beverage cartons and coated paper products to be put in blue bins.

We’re here to help. Here’s your guide to recycling in Austin:

👍 What You Can Recycle

The city has a handy list of what you can recycle on its website and a “What do I do with?” tool where you can look up what to do with specific items. Here’s what you definitely can recycling your blue bin:

• Catalogs/magazines
• Empty coated paper products (cups, plates and takeout food containers)
• Empty food and beverage cartons (including gable topped, like milk and juice cartons)
• Glossy paper
• Junk mail/envelopes
• Newspapers
• Non-foil wrapping paper
• Empty buckets/baskets
• Empty jars/tubs
• Lawn chairs
• Non-battery toys
• Empty water/soda bottles
• Aluminum foil (balled 2 inches or larger)
• Aluminum foil baking pans
• Steel and tin cans
• Empty aerosol cans
• Bottles and bottle caps (labels can be left on containers)
• Empty jars and caps (labels can be left on containers)
• Cardboard boxes broken down into roughly 2'x2' squares
• Toilet paper and paper towel rolls

👎 What You Can’t Recycle

The following items cannot be recycled in your blue bin, but they can be recycled at the Recycle and Reuse Drop-off Center at 2514 Business Center Dr. The center is available by appointment only and you can schedule a drop-off online.

• Plastic bags
• Trash bags
• Plastic film and wrap
• Styrofoam
• Batteries
• Electronics
• Clothing and housewares
• Medical waste like syringes and sharp containers
• Partially full or full aerosol cans
• Sealed gas containers such as propane and helium tanks
• Textiles
• Water hoses
• Wood