Recycling

Learn more about what Can and Can't Be Recycled in Your Blue Cart

Recycling is Easy When You "Focus on the Four"

Limit what you put in your blue cart to only four groups of items:

• Aluminum & Steel Cans
• Paper & Cardboard
• Plastic bottles and jugs
• Glass jars and bottles

Contamination
It's good that more Tulsans are recycling, but the City has also seen an increase in items being put into the blue recycling carts that CANNOT be recycled through the City. This leads to a high "contamination rate" at the City's recycling processing center - and that costs the City and resident's money.

The contamination rate is now at 31.22 percent, and it needs to be at 15 percent or less. By lowering the contamination rate, the City will be able to save money on recycling processing fees and trash tipping fees, which in turn keeps trash rates down for residents. 

Each City of Tulsa resident has the opportunity to recycle with a 96-gallon blue recycling cart which has been provided to residents. Recycling is NOT mandatory, but is included in all service plan rates.

More than 80 percent of your household waste is recyclable! The more you recycle the less trash you throw out. The less trash you throw out, the smaller the trash cart you need. The smaller the trash cart, the less you pay for monthly collection service.

When you recycling in your blue cart: 

• Only recycling placed in City of Tulsa issued recycling carts will be collected
• Place all recyclables loose in the cart. No need to separate!
• Do not bag recyclables.
• Cart(s) must be set out before 5 a.m. on your collection day. The hauler has until 8 p.m. to collect your recyclables.
• Cart lids must be closed completely.
• Cart(s) must be removed from the curb within 12 hours after the cart has been serviced.
• Position carts at the curb with lid opening toward the street
• Please leave 3 ft. of space between the recycling and refuse carts and place away from any obstruction (i.e. landscaping, light pole, basketball goal, vehicles, mailbox).