Recycling at a Glance:

• On Wednesdays, place your recycling cart out for collection no later than 7 a.m.  Make sure your cart handles face your house, that'll make it easier for the collection crew and help to keep the litter down.
• You don't have to separate out your recyclables, and you don't have to put them in a bag, just rinse them and throw them all into the blue container together.
• Please rinse out any food containers before you put them in the cart - food waste can spoil the whole load of recyclable material.
• Don't overfill the container.  The lid must remain closed to make sure that your recycling isn't blown out of your cart (and all over the neighborhood).
• Make sure not to put anything dangerous in the cart, including ashes, coals, paint, chemicals, etc.  These can not only damage the equipment or start a fire in the truck, but it will also spoil the whole recycling load.
• When your cart is emptied, bring it back to your house.

 Learn more about Do's and Don'ts of Recycling now.

Don't put these things in the blue cart:

• Household trash
• Aluminum foil
• Auto/Window glass
• Ceramics, china, or dishes
• Drink boxes with straws
• Hardcover books
• Light bulbs
• Waxed milk and juice cartons
• Yard waste
• Containers that held hazardous materials such as motor oil, paint, pesticides, weed killer, or harsh chemicals.

Here's what you can put in the blue cart:

Paper

Paper includes newspapers, inserts, magazines, mail, office paper, phone books, paperback books, and flattened cardboard.   Depending on the quality, or grade, of paper and the current market demand, paper and cardboard is usually mixed with hot water to turn it into pulp and ink, staples, plastic and glue are removed. The clean fibres are pressed together, dried and wound onto reels ready to be turned into new products such as office paper, newspapers, books and magazines.

Plastics

Any plastic that has a recycling number of #1 - #7 symbol on the container.  Just make sure that it did not hold a harsh chemical, such as a pesticide, weed killer, etc.  Processing depends on the type of plastic but palstics are usually cut into small flakes, washed at a high temperature and melted. The melted plastic can then be turned into pellets which are used to make new items like bottles, car parts, home composters or garden furniture. It can also be spun into a fine thread-like material which is used to make clothing such as fleece jackets and hats or fibre filling for sleeping bags and duvets.

Metal Cans and Containers

Any clean tin, steel, or aluminum cans.  Please no paint cans.  Metal cans and containers are shredded, melted and sold to manufacturers. Aluminium can be used to make new cans, as well as for car and airplane construction. Steel cans can be recycled into a variety of products including new cans, bicycle frames, pipes and train tracks. Tin, aluminium, and steel can be recycled indefinitely without losing quality.

Glass Bottles and Jars 

Any rinsed green, brown, or clear glass bottles can be recycled.  Please don't put any auto glass, window glass, or dishes in the cart.  Your glass bottles and jars are usually crushed and turned into fine sand. It can then be used as building sand or, if it undergoes further processing, as floor and wall insulation and lightweight construction aggregate.

 

For additional information, to report a lost or stolen, or for comments or questions on the service, please call the City of Celina at 972-382-2682 or Waste Management at 972-315-5400.