Recycling Columbus, Ohio

Every city has different rules for recycling. Before we get into the gritty details of what’s goes in and what stays out of the blue bin, here are a few tips on recycling in Columbus.

If you live in the city of Columbus, recycling collection occurs every other week along with yard waste collection. Recyclables don’t need to be sorted – everything is placed in the blue cart together. Recyclable items such as cans or jars should be free of any food contamination before disposal. Food residue can end up degrading an entire bale of recyclable materials if it is not properly rinsed off. Additionally, any lids, labels and caps can stay on containers.

Rules for Recycling Columbus Ohio

Understanding what is actually accepted at your local recycling facility can be one of the biggest challenges when getting involved in recycling at home. Even if a container has a recycling symbol on it, that doesn’t always mean it is recyclable in your city. For example, the city of Columbus can only take in plastics that are in bottle or jug form, no yogurt containers or plastic take-out boxes. Here is a list of dos and don’ts for recycling in Cbus.

DO recycle in your blue bin:

• Aluminum and steel cans with lids
• Flattened cardboard boxes
• Flattened pizza boxes (without food or grease)
• Plastic bottles or jugs
• Newspaper, magazines, catalogs, junk mail, computer paper, phone books, cereal and other dry food boxes
• Glass bottles and jars
• Milk cartons and juice boxes
• Shredded paper placed in a clear plastic bag

DON’T recycle in your blue bin:

• Regular trash
• Plastic shopping or grocery bags
• Hazardous materials, such as oil, batteries, cleaners, paints, etc.
• Syringes, needles, or sharp objects
• Styrofoam
• Electronics or light bulbs
• Mirrors, ceramics, or window glass
• Plastic buckets or butter tubs

To learn more about recycling in Columbus, visit Columbus.gov