The City of Cleveland's Recycling Program is Here!
Residents must opt-in to receive curbside recycling services. To enroll complete the online form at clerecycles.com or call 216.664.3030.
How do I replace a damaged cart?
If you need to replace a damaged cart, please call 216.664.3711 or 3-1-1
I don’t have a blue cart. Where can I take my recyclables?
There are currently two drop off locations for residential recycling:
• East Side 5600 Carnegie Avenue (Monday-Friday, 9am-3pm)
• West Side 3727 Ridge Road (Monday-Friday, 9am-3pm)
View full list of Acceptable Materials
Recycling Tips
- Mix all items together – all items should be loose and unbagged in the cart
- Ignore the recycling symbol and numbers on items, only items listed will be accepted
- Empty all bottles, jugs, and cans before placing them in recycling
- No need to remove labels
- For plastic bottles, empty, flatten, and reattach lids
- For cartons, remove plastic caps and straws
- NEVER place medical sharps or needles in the recycling
NOT for Recycling
No plastic bags, cassette tapes, bed sheets, hangers, metal chains, garden hoses, batteries, needles, syringes, electronics, polystyrene foam, buckets, car parts, food, yard waste, light bulbs, drinking glasses, ceramics, pots, pans, and scrap metal.
What’s not recyclable?
Anything not listed above as an acceptable item, should not be placed
in the blue recycling cart. In most cases, it can be put in the black trash cart. Check the Cuyahoga
County Solid Waste District’s CuyahogaRecycles.org webpage for alternative recycling programs,
hazardous materials disposal, and drop-off locations.
Enrolled households receive a welcome booklet with 3 sticker inserts. These stickers must be placed on your City blue recycling cart to be identified as enrolled in the recycling program.
What does it mean to “opt in”?
The new program works like a subscription service for recycling at your home. Opting in is the
way that you enroll for that service. This is a one-time action. You will not have to renew it.
Do I have to pay a fee for recycling?
There is no separate “recycling fee”. The $8.75 fee that residents already pay covers a portion of all waste
management activities in Cleveland, including trash and bulk materials pickup.
Can I put plastic bags of recyclables in the blue cart?
No. Plastic bags cannot be put in mixed recyclables. If you use a plastic bag collect recyclables in
the house, dump them out of the bag into the blue recycling cart. The empty bag can be put in
the trash cart. Check local retail stores for recycling programs for grocery bags and other thin film
plastic bags.
Will I get cited for not recycling properly?
The City maintains the right to issue citations for flagrant violations of the rules (ex. yard waste,
building materials, trash bags, or hoses in recycling carts). Grossly contaminated recycling carts will
be emptied into the trash. Repeated flagrant violations can result in the cart being taken away.
If I didn’t opt in, can I still recycle at home?
If a household has not opted in to the recycling program, the City will remove the recycling bin from
that location. However, you may still participate in recycling at drop-off locations.
How clean should the material be?
Containers should be emptied and rinsed. A quick rinse is usually enough, however, certain containers such
as peanut butter jars, require more effort.
What container lids are recyclable?
Plastic lids can be recycled, however, please reattach them to plastic bottles, jugs, tubs, and cups. Metal lids should be removed from containers and placed in the recycling cart
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The City of Cleveland has partered with Rumpke Waste & Recycling, Ohio’s largest recycler and a leading processor in the Midwest, to process recycling collected from the City’s curbside recycling program. One-hundred (100%) of Rumpke’s collected recyclables go to domestic end-users, with 80% destined for end-users in Ohio and 95% in the Midwest - keeping all materials within our region.