What CAN I recycle?
Please do not bag your recyclables, as plastic bags are not recyclable and can cause damage to recycling equipment.
The following items can be placed together in your mixed recycling cart:
Paper and flattened cardboard
- Newspapers
- Magazines & Catalogs
- Telephone Books
- Paper Bags
- Food & beverage cartons (remove caps, empty & dry; do NOT include frozen food packaging as the freezer coating is not recyclable)
- Empty pizza delivery boxes (no food residue, grease ok)
- Paper egg cartons
- Notebook paper, computer paper, file folders, stationery
- Wrapping paper (No foil, plastic coating or tape)
Plastic bottles and tubs (must be 2x2” or larger, empty & dry)
- Plastic bottles (caps OK if screwed on),
- Tubs
- Jugs
- Buckets
- Rigid plant pots
Metal
- Metal food & paint cans (empty & dry)
- Aerosol cans (if totally empty)
- Scrap metal under 18” & 10 lbs
- Aluminum foil and trays
The following items can be recycled in additional containers/outside your mixed recycling cart:
Glass (Put in glass-only bin)
Please note that not all haulers in unincorporated Multnomah County provide glass recycling. Contact your hauler directly to learn more.
- Glass bottles & jars (empty & dry; all colors of glass; OK to leave labels on)
NO lids, caps, ceramics, lightbulbs, broken glass
Batteries (On top of Glass bin)
Batteries must fit in a sealed 1-quart plastic bag
1. Tape ends of batteries (unless labeled alkaline). Use clear tape.
2. Put all batteries in a clear, zipsealed 1-quart bag.
3. Place bag on top of glass.
NO batteries larger than a 1-quart bag, embedded or damaged batteries, or vape pens
Motor Oil (Place next to bins)
- Put in a leak-proof one-gallon or smaller see-through container with a screw cap lid (empty milk jugs make good oil containers)
What CAN’T I recycle?
Do NOT recycle:
Plastic bags and stretchy plastics
These items get caught in recycling equipment and cause accidents or injuries. Take these to a RecycleOn Center, James Recycling, or find other options for recycling at Plasticfilmrecycling.org.
Other plastics
- Plastic takeout containers and utensils
- Plastic cups, lids and straws
- Plastic condiment cups
- Plastic produce containers (for berries, herbs, etc.)
- Plastic takeout containers, utensils, and chopsticks
- Plastic produce containers with a hinged lid
- Plastic-padded envelope
Paper
- Hot drink cups (clean or dirty)
- Takeout boxes
- Envelopes with bubble wrap inside
- Packaging for printer paper
- Frozen food boxes (for ice cream, frozen meals, etc.)
- Shredded paper
Other
- Hazardous Waste
- Bulky Waste
- Appliances
- Block foam and foam peanuts
- Christmas trees
- Construction Salvage & Recycling
- Electronics
- Fluorescent light bulbs
- Mattresses
- Medical equipment
- Paint
- Tires
- Styrofoam
- Clothes and fabric
- Wires, hoses, chains, and electric cords
- String lights
- Glass items that go in the trash
Not sure how to get rid of something? Call 503-234-3000 or use oregonmetro.gov/AskMetro to find options for safe disposal, recycling, or donation. Metro staff are glad to answer questions over the phone from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Staff are available in English and Spanish, with additional language options offered on demand.
Recycle or Not is a handy tool that helps you sort items that are known to be confusing. With helpful images, a fun game to test your knowledge, and an Instagram account where experts answer your recycling questions, it won’t take long to learn what you can and can’t recycle.