City of
Madison

Recycling basics

• Green recycling carts should be out to the curb by 6:30 a.m. on their scheduled collection day.

• Only appropriate recyclables belong in the cart.
  • Do not put trash, clothes, Styrofoam, and other contaminants into the recycling cart.
  • And be sure you are using the cart correctly.

• All recyclables should be free from food and other debris.

 

Do not put your recycling into a bag.

Recycling is best loose in the collection cart. The only exception is shredded paper.

If your living situation requires you to use a plastic bag for recycling, you must choose a clear bag. This way the sorters can identify what is inside is recyclable. If the bag is not see-through, it will be assumed to be trash.

 

what to put in your recycling cart

Use this guide to see what can go into your cart (or keep reading this page).  Print it & post it on the fridge or elsewhere at home so everyone can know what should go into the recycling. 

Check the lid of your recycling cart, too. Many carts now have this guide printed on them. The lid guide can be used for printing and posting.

And you can get a free 3" x 5" magnet from that covers the recycling basics, too. (Just contact us and we can mail them.)

Paper Recycling

 

The following clean and dry paper products can be recycled in your green recycling cart:

Newspapers and the inserts	Flattened cardboard	Mail
Magazines and catalogs	Paper bags	Envelopes
Office & computer paper	Phone books	Cardboard-sided cans
Cereal & cracker boxes	Cardboard tube cores from paper products	Frozen food & soda boxes
Gift wrap	Egg cartons	Milk & juice cartons
Broth, soy milk, juice boxes and other aseptic/Tetrapak boxes	Receipts and bills	Paper/cardboard backing from retail packages

 

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS:

• Cardboard boxes

Flatten all cardboard boxes and place them inside the 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. Place the bundles under the cart lid or in a neat pile next to the collection cart.

You can also bring excess cardboard to a drop-off site.  

• Pizza boxes

The parts of the pizza box contaminated by food and grease should go into the trash.  You can recycle the clean sections of pizza boxes by tearing them off.  For more information on pizza box recycling...

• Shredded paper

Place shredded paper in clear bags, tie the bag shut, and then place the bag into the recycling cart. It must be clear, or see-through, so the sorters can identify it is as shredded paper. The bag of shredded paper should be no larger than a basketball.

 

Paper Items that Do Not Belong in the Recycling Cart:

• Diapers
• Photographs
• Takeout containers with food stains
• Coffee cups
• Sanitary napkins
• Soiled and/or stained cardboard & paper products
• Padded envelopes
• Tissue paper & foil wrapping paper

 

Plastic Recycling

 

The following rinsed clean and dry plastic containers can be placed in your green recycling cart:

Bottles (caps/lids on)	Jugs & jars (caps/lids on)	Dairy & deli tubs
Condiment bottles	Shell packaging like what is around electronics or toys	Berry containers & mushroom trays
Frozen juice containers	Other plastic boxes, containers, or bottles with necks that are #1 through #7 plastics	Yogurt containers

 

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS:

• Cups

Only cups that are #1, #2, and #5 plastic can go into the cart. Be sure the cups are clean and dry before placing them into the cart.

 

Plastic Items that Do Not Belong in the Recycling Cart:

• Microwave dinner plates & other food-stained plastic containers
• Food stained containers
• Hoses
• Bubble wrap
• Cling wrap or cellophane
• Motor oil bottles
• Styrofoam
• Plastic insulation from meal kit boxes (this will tangle sorting equipment)
• Clip-on six pack rings (this will get mixed in with paper)
  
• Plastic bags/film

  
  

Can and metal recycling

The following empty & clean metal items can be placed in your green recycling cart:

Aluminum, tin, and steel cans & lids	Aluminum foil (balled up to the size of a baseball)	Aersol cans
Paint cans & lids	Foil pans	Pots & pans

COMMON QUESTION

Should I flatten cans before putting them into the recycling?

No. Flat items act like paper in the sorting system, so if you flatten the cans, they could get mixed in with the paper at the sorting facility. You can give the cans a satisfying squeeze around the middle to crinkle them, but if you stomp or crush them flat, they could get sorted incorrectly.

 

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS

• Small metal appliances

If an item is most metal like a toaster or a coffeemaker, it can be placed into the recycling cart. Place all of the glass parts into the tan trash container.

• Bottle caps, keys, etc.

Small metal items like bottle caps can be recycled if they are placed into a larger metal container, like a tin can. Crimp the can closed so the small metal items cannot fall out, and put the can into the recycling.

• Small metal items

Other metal items like plumbing fixtures or pipes can also be placed into the recycling cart, but these items must weigh less than 10 pounds and be shorter than 18 inches in length.

• Large metal items

Bigger metal items (like posts and filing cabinets), or tangling items (like aluminum blinds or chicken wire), or very heavy items (like car parts), can be recycled if they taken to a drop-off site. Some of these items may also be collected as large item.

 

glass RECYCLING

The following empty & clean glass item without lids can be placed in your green recycling cart:

Jars

Bottles

 

Glass Items that Do Not Belong in the Recycling Cart:

• Windows
• Mirrors
• Ceramics
• Drinking glasses
• Vision glasses
• Dishes and bowls
• Flower pots and vases
• Fluorescent light bulbs
• LED or incandescent light bulbs
• Laboratory glass & chemical bottles
  

 

general Recycling tips

• Keeping the lid of the recycling cart closed protects the material inside from the rain and snow that can damage paper.

• Remember to empty and flatten all of your boxes is the right thing to do, and it will help save a lot of space in your carts.

• If you are running out of space in your cart regularly, upgrade to a larger size cart for free. Or if you have the largest cart already, you can purchase an additional cart for a one-time fee.

 

what happens to your recycling?

Watch a video about the Pellitteri Waste Systems recycling facility sorts everything you have placed into the recycling carts.

 

Recyclopedia & Fact sheets

Looking for more information on Streets Division services and even more recycling details? Download the 2021 Recyclopedia. 

Paper copies of the Recyclopedia can be mailed out by request, just contact the Streets Division. (2021 copies are not yet available, but will be soon)

The new Recyclopedia is designed to be easy to use and search while on your computer. You're welcome to download the PDF file or just bookmark the page. Be sure to update your bookmarks with the 2021 version.

And for something that has more detail than the photo guide, but less than the Recyclopedia, here's our reference guide to the rules and guidelines for recycling

And while you're learning what to put into the cart the correct way, here's the guide on how to use the cart itself the right way:

• English

Our universe of stuff is complicated and constantly changing. So you may still encounter an item or question that is not covered by any of these resources. Please contact us and we'll help.