Austin, Texas

Recycling in Austin: blue cart, drop-off, and what to leave out

Recycling in Austin starts with the blue cart for everyday bottles, cans, paper, and cartons. Bags, batteries, paint, and electronics do not belong there. This page shows which path to use, then links to a short guide for each item.

It is an independent guide for households. Austin Resource Recovery sets the official list, and that list can change. Confirm details on the city residential recycling page.

Blue cart rules Find a drop-off Check your day

Start with the item in your hand

Most weekly questions fall into one of these guides. Open the one that matches what you need to set out or take somewhere else.

Blue cartWhat goes in the bin, and what must stay out. Drop-offWhere to take items the cart cannot accept. ScheduleSet the cart out by 5:30 a.m. on your recycling day. ElectronicsDrop-off and home pickup for devices and appliances. BatteriesHousehold batteries never go in the trash or the cart. Hazardous wastePaint, cleaners, bulbs, and other household chemicals. Plastic bagsFilm and bags stay out of the blue cart. PaintWhere leftover paint should go. Bulk pickupHow to schedule a large-item collection. CartonsCartons and coated paper cups in the cart. Christmas treesCurb set-out and drop-off for natural trees. Reuse centerHow to book a visit and what you can bring.

How curbside recycling in Austin works

Households from single-family homes through four-plexes use one blue cart for mixed recycling. The cart is single-stream: bottles, cans, paper, and cardboard go in together. Collection is every other week.

Set the cart at the curb by 5:30 a.m. on your recycling day. Leave about five feet between the cart and other bins, cars, or mailboxes so the truck can reach it. Do not put recyclables in a plastic bag.

Extra material can sit beside the cart in a cardboard box or a reusable bin no larger than the cart. A second cart can be requested at 512-494-9400. If the truck misses you, report it to 3-1-1 within two days. The Austin recycle schedule guide covers set-out and missed carts in more detail.

What can go in the blue cart

Empty and rinse containers. Leave caps on hard plastic. Flatten cardboard to about two feet by two feet so it fits in the cart.

  • Hard plastic bottles, jugs, cups, tubs, and jars
  • Glass bottles and jars
  • Metal food and drink cans
  • Paper, office paper, and flattened cardboard
  • Cartons, gable-top cartons, and coated paper, including coffee cups

Read the full sort list in the blue cart guide and the notes on carton recycling.

What must stay out

These items contaminate a load or create a safety problem. They need a drop-off or a separate pickup, not the blue cart and not the trash can for batteries.

Drop-off and home pickup

When the cart cannot take an item, Austin residents use a drop-off or a scheduled collection. The Recycle and Reuse Center takes household material by appointment. Book through the Austin Recycles app or austintexas.gov. Do not arrive without a time slot.

Curbside customers can also schedule bulk item pickup and household hazardous waste collection. Use the app, the city website, or 3-1-1. Businesses cannot drop household hazardous waste at the resident sites. The drop-off guide and the reuse center guide explain what to bring and how to book.

Recycling in Austin by material

Longer articles sit under each material. Use them after the local guides above if you want the sorting detail for plastic, glass, paper, metal, or compost.

Plastic Glass Paper Metal Compost

Questions people ask about recycling in Austin

What can I recycle in Austin?

The blue cart takes hard plastic bottles, jugs, tubs, and jars, plus glass, metal cans, paper, flattened cardboard, and cartons. Leave caps on plastic. Do not bag the recyclables. Plastic bags, film, foam, batteries, electronics, and paint stay out.

What day is my recycling picked up?

Have the blue cart at the curb by 5:30 a.m. on your recycling day, with space around it. The schedule guide explains missed carts and extra material beside the cart.

Where do batteries, bags, and paint go?

Not in the blue cart. Bags and film go to a store drop-off. Batteries go to a battery drop-off, never in the trash or the cart. Paint goes through paint recycling or household hazardous waste.

Can I take items to the Recycle and Reuse Center?

Yes, with an appointment. Book in the Austin Recycles app or on austintexas.gov. The reuse center guide lists what residents can bring. Walk-up visits without a booking are not the way the center works.

Rules, fees, and accepted lists change. Use this page to choose a guide, then check Austin Resource Recovery before you set the cart out.