City of
Madison

Recycling FACT SHEETS

Here is a quick reference guide to the rules and guidelines for recycling.

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Here's a quick reference guide for the rules and guidelines for using your collection cart.

• English
• Español
• Hmoob
• 官话

what to put in your recycling cart

Prefer something with pictures of what can go into your cart?

Use this guide to show what can go into your cart.

Recyclopedia

Looking for more information on Streets Division services? The latest Recyclopedia? The 2019 version is available here.

While you can print the new Recyclopedia, it's been designed to be easy to use and search while on your computer. You're welcome to download the PDF file to your computer or just bookmark the page. Be sure to update your bookmarks with the 2019 version of the Recyclopedia.

You may still encounter an item or question that is not covered by the flyer or the Recyclopedia. Go ahead and contact us and we'll help.

 

The following paper products can be recycled in your green recycling cart

• Newspapers and all the inserts
• Corrugated Cardboard
• Junk Mail
• Magazines and Catalogs
• Paper Grocery Bags
• Envelopes
• Office and Computer Paper
• Phone Books
• Cereal and Cracker Boxes
• Roll Cores from Paper Products
• Soda Cases etc.
• Receipts and Bills
• Gift Wrap (No Tissue Paper)
• Greeting Cards (No Photos)
• Paper Egg Cartons
• Paper Milk and Juice Cartons
• Juice Boxes and Other Aseptic Packages

Flatten your cardboard boxes and place them inside your recycling cart. Boxes that do not fit inside your cart should be flattened and cut down to a 3' x 3' size, tied in bundles 6" in height or less, and placed under the lid of your cart. 

What about pizza boxes? 

You should not recycle pizza boxes that have been contaminated by food and grease.  You can recycle the clean sections of pizza boxes by tearing them off.  For more information on pizza box recycling...

Can we recycle shredded paper?

Yes. Place shredded paper in clear or opaque plastic bags before putting it in your cart. This will enable our new processor to increase the volume of shredded paper we recover.

What about cardboard sided cans?

Yes!

Plastic Recycling

The following plastic items can be placed in your green recycling cart

Please clean or rinse before recycling

• All plastic bottles (except Motor Oil bottles. Motor oil bottles should be capped and put in the trash)
• All plastic jugs
• All plastic laundry product bottles
• #1 Peanut Butter and Condiment Jars
  • NOTE: Lids and caps can be left on all plastic bottles. They will be recycled if left on the bottle.)
• Plastic Frozen Juice Containers
• All plastic dairy tubs (ice cream, sour cream, cottage cheese, yogurt, etc.) and their lids. Remove lids and place in the cart separately
• All #1 plastic clamshell containers including berry containers
• All #1 plastic blister packs (Those clear plastic packages for things like locks, toys, etc.)
• Plastic cups that are #1, #2, or #5
• And other plastic boxes, containers, or bottles with necks or handles #1-#7
• Certain properly packaged plastic bags

Do not recycle place the following plastic in the cartregardless of the number on the bottom:

• Microwave dinner plates & other food-stained plastic containers
• Bubble wrap envelopes
• Cling wrap or cellophane
• Styrofoam (Do not place in green cart. Can be recycled ught to our drop off sites. For more information)
  
  

Can and metal recycling

The following metal items can be placed in your green recycling cart.

Please clean and rinse before recycling

• Aluminum Cans
• Aluminum foil (must be balled up to be about the size of a baseball)
• Steel/Tin Cans
• Empty Aerosol Cans
• Empty Paint Cans and their lids
• Pots and Pans
• Aluminum Foil Pans
• Small Metal Appliances (Toasters, mixers, blenders, etc.) Remove and discard any glass parts in your tan refuse cart.
• Metal Plumbing Fixtures (Faucets, valves, etc.)
• Metal Pipe 18" in length or shorter
• Other metal items weighing less than ten pounds
• Metal bottle caps, bolts, metal keys, etc.

  • Place bottles caps and other small metal items inside a steel/tin can and pinch the top closed. Small metal items like this must be inside a can otherwise they will be screened out as trash at the recycling center.

    See a video on recycling bottle cap

    

    
    
    

glass RECYCLING

• Glass Bottles and Jars ONLY
• Remove all lids.
  • Metal lids from glass jars can be placed in the green recycling cart separately
  • Plastic lids from glass jars should go in the tan refuse cart
• No Windows, Mirrors, or Ceramics
  
  
  

SINGLE STREAM RECYCLING TIPS

Place all your recyclables in the green recycling cart. No need to separate or bundle.

Flattening boxes, cans and plastic bottles will save space in your cart for material.

Do not put trash, clothes, hoses, pet waste or yard waste in your green recycling cart. Carts containing trash, brush, or yard waste will not be collected.

Remember that recycling is collected every other week. Recycling carts placed out on the wrong week will not be collected.

When in doubt email or call 608-267-2626.

How is your recycling sorted

Single stream recycling is easy to use. But how is all that stuff sorted? Watch a video about the Pellitteri Waste Systems recycling facility.