Recycling carts and collection

We collect recycling every other week from City-provided carts. Here's how to prepare your recycling for collection and information about carts.

Collection rules

Do not bag your recycling – Place recycling loose in your blue recycling cart. If you collect recycling in plastic or paper bags in your home, please empty the bags into the cart. This helps with sorting.

Paper and plastic bags - Paper bags can go in your recycling cart. Plastic bags should go in the garbage or be brought to a plastic bag drop-off location.

Weight limits:
- Large carts – No more than 200 pounds
- Medium carts – No more than 150 pounds

Pickup time – Your recycling may be picked up anytime between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. on your collection day. Make sure it's ready for pickup by 6 a.m. The City determines your collection day, and it cannot be changed.

Find your collection day

Missed pickup

Please call our office after 3:30 p.m. on your pickup day or within 24 hours of your pickup day to report a miss. Missed pickups reported by email may not be received in time to send the crew back before your next pickup day.

If your cart was not out when the crew was at your house, we will not send the crew back.

Street address numbers

If you have a public alley, your street address must be visible in the back of your property by City ordinance. If your street address cannot be readily seen by collection crews, we'll install easily visible numbers and add a fee to your utility bill.

Extra recycling

Set extra recycling next to your One-Sort recycling cart in paper bags or cardboard boxes. Each bag or box must weigh less than 40 pounds. If you regularly have extra recycling, we may deliver another recycling cart to your property even if you do not request one.

About carts

Add or change recycling carts

Anyone, including renters, can request one or more One-Sort recycling carts. Extra carts are free. Large (95 gallon) and medium (64 gallon) recycling carts are available.

Contact us to change the number or size of your recycling carts. If emailing, be sure to include:

Your address
The size of cart you want (if requesting one or more carts)

Damaged or missing carts

There's no cost to have damaged carts repaired. Call or email our office to report damaged or lost carts. If we took your recycling cart because it had too many nonrecyclable items, there may be a fee to have it returned.

Learn more about why we might remove your cart and how to get it back

Clean your carts

Keep your carts clean so the contents dump out easily and you don't attract animals like squirrels and raccoons. Tips for cleaning:

Put the cart on its side.
Add some baking soda or soap and spray the cart out with a hose.
Use natural cleaning products to protect the environment.
If you don't have a hose, put a couple buckets of soapy water in the cart and swish it with a mop.

Seasonal reminders

Shovel out your carts to avoid a fee

When it snows, you must clear a path at least 3 feet wide from your garbage, recycling and organics carts to the alley or curb, including through snow left by plows. Make sure carts can be moved freely. If City crews have to shovel out your carts for you, we'll charge a fee.

Learn more about clearing snow around carts