Frozen food bags are not accepted in curbside recycling or at SWACO drop-off site. Please discard these in the regular trash.

**A specialized recycling program for those harder-to-recycle plastics is now available to Franklin County residents who have access to curbside recycling or frequent a SWACO recycling drop-off location. Through a new partnership with Hefty and Rumpke, some plastics such as chip bags, granola bar wrappers, plastic film, plastic cutlery, and Styrofoam are now accepted in the Hefty ReNew bag. For a full list of the items that can be recycled in the ReNew program and a list of retailers who sell the Hefty ReNew Bags, click here.

Related Recycling Categories

Aluminum Foil Broken Ceramics Candy Wrappers Carpet Chip Bags Coffee Pods Diapers Foam Plates, Cups, Egg Cartons, Bowls & Peanuts Mattresses Mirror & Window Glass Paper Towels Party Cups Plastic Straws & Stirrers Plastic Utensils Salad Bags Shredded Cheese Bags Take-Out Food Containers

Pre-washed salad in bags are not accepted in curbside recycling carts or at a SWACO drop-off location for recycling.

PRO Tip

**A specialized recycling program for those harder-to-recycle plastics is now available to Franklin County residents who have access to curbside recycling or frequent a SWACO recycling drop-off location. Through a new partnership with Hefty and Rumpke, some plastics such as chip bags, granola bar wrappers, plastic film, plastic cutlery, and Styrofoam are now accepted in the Hefty ReNew bag. For a full list of the items that can be recycled in the ReNew program and a list of retailers who sell the Hefty ReNew Bags, click here.

Related Recycling Categories

Aluminum Foil Broken Ceramics Candy Wrappers Carpet Chip Bags Coffee Pods Diapers Foam Plates, Cups, Egg Cartons, Bowls & Peanuts Frozen Food Bags Mattresses Mirror & Window Glass Paper Towels Party Cups Plastic Straws & Stirrers Plastic Utensils Shredded Cheese Bags Take-Out Food Containers

Plastic straws and stirrers are not accepted for curbside recycling or at a SWACO drop-off site. Please discard in the regular trash.

**A specialized recycling program for those harder-to-recycle plastics is now available to Franklin County residents who have access to curbside recycling or frequent a SWACO recycling drop-off location. Through a new partnership with Hefty and Rumpke, some plastics such as chip bags, granola bar wrappers, plastic film, plastic cutlery, and Styrofoam are now accepted in the Hefty ReNew bag. For a full list of the items that can be recycled in the ReNew program and a list of retailers who sell the Hefty ReNew Bags, click here.

Related Recycling Categories

Aluminum Foil Broken Ceramics Candy Wrappers Carpet Chip Bags Coffee Pods Diapers Foam Plates, Cups, Egg Cartons, Bowls & Peanuts Frozen Food Bags Mattresses Mirror & Window Glass Paper Towels Party Cups Plastic Utensils Salad Bags Shredded Cheese Bags Take-Out Food Containers

Chip bags should not be included in your curbside recycling cart or taken to a SWACO drop-off.

PRO TIP

A specialized recycling program for those harder-to-recycle plastics is now available to Franklin County residents who have access to curbside recycling or frequent a SWACO recycling drop off location. Through a new partnership with Hefty and Rumpke, some plastics such as chip bags, granola bar wrappers, plastic film, plastic cutlery, and Styrofoam are now accepted in the Hefty ReNew bag. A full list of the items that can be recycled in the ReNew program can be found here. To find a list of retailers who sell the Hefty ReNew Bags, click here.

*All wrappers including chip bags, candy wrappers and granola wrappers should be free of foil linings to be accepted in the Hefty ReNew bag.

Related Recycling Categories

Aluminum Foil Broken Ceramics Candy Wrappers Carpet Coffee Pods Diapers Foam Plates, Cups, Egg Cartons, Bowls & Peanuts Frozen Food Bags Mattresses Mirror & Window Glass Paper Towels Party Cups Plastic Straws & Stirrers Plastic Utensils Salad Bags Shredded Cheese Bags Take-Out Food Containers

Plastic utensils are not accepted in curbside recycling or at a SWACO drop-off site. Please reuse when possible and discard in the regular trash.

PRO TIP

A specialized recycling program for those harder-to-recycle plastics is now available to Franklin County residents who have access to curbside recycling or frequent a SWACO recycling drop off location. Through a new partnership with Hefty and Rumpke, some plastics such as chip bags, granola bar wrappers, plastic film, plastic cutlery, and Styrofoam are now accepted in the Hefty ReNew bag. A full list of the items that can be recycled in the ReNew program can be found here. To find a list of retailers who sell the Hefty ReNew Bags, click here.

Related Recycling Categories

Aluminum Foil Broken Ceramics Candy Wrappers Carpet Chip Bags Coffee Pods Diapers Foam Plates, Cups, Egg Cartons, Bowls & Peanuts Frozen Food Bags Mattresses Mirror & Window Glass Paper Towels Party Cups Plastic Straws & Stirrers Salad Bags Shredded Cheese Bags Take-Out Food Containers

Foam products such as foam cups, plates, bowls, peanuts and egg cartons are not accepted for curbside recycling or at a SWACO drop off site. Please discard in the regular trash.

PRO TIP

A specialized recycling program for those harder-to-recycle plastics is now available to Franklin County residents who have access to curbside recycling or frequent a SWACO recycling drop off location. Through a new partnership with Hefty and Rumpke, some plastics such as chip bags, granola bar wrappers, plastic film, plastic cutlery, and Styrofoam are now accepted in the Hefty ReNew bag. A full list of the items that can be recycled in the ReNew program can be found here. To find a list of retailers who sell the Hefty ReNew Bags, click here.

Related Recycling Categories

Aluminum Foil Broken Ceramics Candy Wrappers Carpet Chip Bags Coffee Pods Diapers Frozen Food Bags Mattresses Mirror & Window Glass Paper Towels Party Cups Plastic Straws & Stirrers Plastic Utensils Salad Bags Shredded Cheese Bags Take-Out Food Containers

Candy wrappers are not accepted in curbside recycling carts or at a SWACO drop off site.

PRO TIP

A specialized recycling program for those harder-to-recycle plastics is now available to Franklin County residents who have access to curbside recycling or frequent a SWACO recycling drop off location. Through a new partnership with Hefty and Rumpke, some plastics such as chip bags, granola bar wrappers, plastic film, plastic cutlery, and Styrofoam are now accepted in the Hefty ReNew bag. A full list of the items that can be recycled in the ReNew program can be found here. To find a list of retailers who sell the Hefty ReNew Bags, click here.

*All wrappers including chip bags, candy wrappers and granola wrappers should be free of foil linings to be accepted in the Hefty ReNew bag.

Related Recycling Categories

Aluminum Foil Broken Ceramics Carpet Chip Bags Coffee Pods Diapers Foam Plates, Cups, Egg Cartons, Bowls & Peanuts Frozen Food Bags Mattresses Mirror & Window Glass Paper Towels Party Cups Plastic Straws & Stirrers Plastic Utensils Salad Bags Shredded Cheese Bags Take-Out Food Containers

Shredded cheese bags are not accepted in curbside recycling or at a SWACO drop-off site. Please discard in the regular trash.

pro TIPS

A specialized recycling program for those harder-to-recycle plastics is now available to Franklin County residents who have access to curbside recycling or frequent a SWACO recycling drop-off location. Through a new partnership with Hefty and Rumpke, some plastics such as chip bags, granola bar wrappers, plastic film, plastic cutlery, and Styrofoam are now accepted in the Hefty ReNew bag. For a full list of the items that can be recycled in the ReNew program and a list of retailers who sell the Hefty ReNew Bags, click here.

Related Recycling Categories

Aluminum Foil Broken Ceramics Candy Wrappers Carpet Chip Bags Coffee Pods Diapers Foam Plates, Cups, Egg Cartons, Bowls & Peanuts Frozen Food Bags Mattresses Mirror & Window Glass Paper Towels Party Cups Plastic Straws & Stirrers Plastic Utensils Salad Bags Take-Out Food Containers

Do not place mirrors & window glass in your curbside recycling.

ATTENTION

Not all glass can be recycled.  The following types of glass items do not belong in your curbside recycling or SWACO recycling location:

• No light bulbs
• No crystal
• No mirror or window glass
• No ceramics such as dishware or ovenware
• To learn more about the types of glass that can be recycled in Franklin County, please refer to the frequently asked questions page. 

Quick Tip

If the ceramics or glass items are in usable condition, consider donating them to a local charity that can reuse or resell the items to help support their mission. To avoid mirror shattering, place tape across in an “X” pattern.

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS

If mirror or window pane is broken, place in a durable container to ensure safety of trash collection personal.

Related Recycling Categories

Aluminum Foil Broken Ceramics Candy Wrappers Carpet Chip Bags Coffee Pods Diapers Foam Plates, Cups, Egg Cartons, Bowls & Peanuts Frozen Food Bags Mattresses Paper Towels Party Cups Plastic Straws & Stirrers Plastic Utensils Salad Bags Shredded Cheese Bags Take-Out Food Containers

Do not place broken ceramics in your curbside recycling.  They belong in the trash.

ATTENTION

Not all glass can be recycled.  The following types of glass items do not belong in your curbside recycling:

• NO light bulbs
• No crystal
• No mirror or window glass
• No ceramics such as dishware or ovenware
• To learn more about the types of glass that can be recycled curbside in Franklin County, please refer to the frequently asked questions page. 

Quick Tip

If the ceramics or glass items are in usable condition, consider donating them to a local charity that can reuse or resell the items to help support their mission.

Related Recycling Categories

Aluminum Foil Candy Wrappers Carpet Chip Bags Coffee Pods Diapers Foam Plates, Cups, Egg Cartons, Bowls & Peanuts Frozen Food Bags Mattresses Mirror & Window Glass Paper Towels Party Cups Plastic Straws & Stirrers Plastic Utensils Salad Bags Shredded Cheese Bags Take-Out Food Containers

Single-use coffee pods and capsules do not belong in curbside recycling.  The cups are too small to be sorted properly at the recycling facility and belong in the trash.

quick tips

• Consider participating in a mail back program that accepts coffee capsules for recycling.  For example, Keurig K-Cycle Recycling program & Terracycle’s K-cup and coffee capsule program
• If you don’t use a mail-back program, consider removing the coffee grounds and composting them in your backyard bin or pile before discarding the capsule in the trash.

Related Recycling Categories

Aluminum Foil Broken Ceramics Candy Wrappers Carpet Chip Bags Diapers Foam Plates, Cups, Egg Cartons, Bowls & Peanuts Frozen Food Bags Mattresses Mirror & Window Glass Paper Towels Party Cups Plastic Straws & Stirrers Plastic Utensils Salad Bags Shredded Cheese Bags Take-Out Food Containers

Aluminum foil and pans are not accepted in household recycling because they are not the same quality as the aluminum used to make aluminum cans. While this difference may not be obvious to us, it is a problem once melted. Please discard in the regular trash.

Related Recycling Categories

Broken Ceramics Candy Wrappers Carpet Chip Bags Coffee Pods Diapers Foam Plates, Cups, Egg Cartons, Bowls & Peanuts Frozen Food Bags Mattresses Mirror & Window Glass Paper Towels Party Cups Plastic Straws & Stirrers Plastic Utensils Salad Bags Shredded Cheese Bags Take-Out Food Containers

Currently, there are no local recycling options for mattresses.  Sometimes mattresses can be donated if they are in good condition.  The Furniture Bank of Central Ohio will accept if in gently worn condition.  Please double check their donation standards.

If the mattress cannot be reused, contact your local city service department to schedule a bulk pick-up or take the mattress to the Franklin County Landfill for disposal.

Unfortunately, paper towels are not recyclable. As a result, they should NOT be put into your residential recycling bin or in a recycling drop-off container. If the paper towels do not contain chemicals, they can be composted through a food scrap drop-off program or in your backyard compost bin. If you don’t have access to composting, please place paper towels in the trash.

WHY CAN’T THIS BE RECYCLED?

The fibers in paper towels are too short to be recycled. Each time paper is recycled the fibers get shorter. At some point, those fibers are no longer long enough to be recycled.

QUICK TIPS

• Use cloth towels in your kitchen! Not only is it better for the environment, it may save you money in the long run!
• If you have a backyard composting bin or pile, paper towels and napkins can be a good source of carbon and can be composted along with other organic materials.

Unfortunately, not all take-out food containers are accepted for residential recycling in Franklin County. Specifically, the plastic black and white take-out containers and Styrofoam containers are not accepted. As a result, these items should NOT be put into your residential recycling bin or drop-off container but should be disposed of with your residential trash.

WHY CAN’T THIS BE RECYCLED?

The types of plastics used in these containers are not accepted at the recycling facility that processes residential recyclables in Franklin County. Due to the different types of plastics used, and the variability in sizes and shapes of these materials, they are difficult to separate at the recycling facility and strong end markets don’t exist even if they are successfully separated.

QUICK TIPS

More people are bringing their own “take-home” containers to restaurants in case they have leftovers at the end of the meal. While not yet as common as people bringing their own reusable bags to grocery stores, there are growing efforts among Franklin County residents to reduce the amount of unrecyclable plastic that they generate. The next time you’re heading out to a restaurant, give it a try!

pro TIPS

A specialized recycling program for those harder-to-recycle plastics is now available to Franklin County residents who have access to curbside recycling or frequent a SWACO recycling drop-off location. Through a new partnership with Hefty and Rumpke, some plastics such as chip bags, granola bar wrappers, plastic film, plastic cutlery, and Styrofoam are now accepted in the Hefty ReNew bag. For a full list of the items that can be recycled in the ReNew program and a list of retailers who sell the Hefty ReNew Bags, click here.

Related Recycling Categories

Aluminum Foil Broken Ceramics Candy Wrappers Carpet Chip Bags Coffee Pods Diapers Foam Plates, Cups, Egg Cartons, Bowls & Peanuts Frozen Food Bags Mattresses Mirror & Window Glass Paper Towels Party Cups Plastic Straws & Stirrers Plastic Utensils Salad Bags Shredded Cheese Bags

Unfortunately, this type of plastic, polystyrene is not accepted for recycling in Franklin County. As a result, party cups should NOT be put in your residential recycling bin or drop-off container, but should be disposed of with your regular trash.

WHY CAN’T THIS BE RECYCLED?

Not all cups are made from the same type of plastic. Party cups are made from a plastic called polystyrene. Currently, there aren’t stable end users for this type of material & therefore aren’t readily recyclable.

pro TIPS

A specialized recycling program for those harder-to-recycle plastics is now available to Franklin County residents who have access to curbside recycling or frequent a SWACO recycling drop-off location. Through a new partnership with Hefty and Rumpke, some plastics such as chip bags, granola bar wrappers, plastic film, plastic cutlery, and Styrofoam are now accepted in the Hefty ReNew bag. For a full list of the items that can be recycled in the ReNew program and a list of retailers who sell the Hefty ReNew Bags, click here.

Related Recycling Categories

Aluminum Foil Broken Ceramics Candy Wrappers Carpet Chip Bags Coffee Pods Diapers Foam Plates, Cups, Egg Cartons, Bowls & Peanuts Frozen Food Bags Mattresses Mirror & Window Glass Paper Towels Plastic Straws & Stirrers Plastic Utensils Salad Bags Shredded Cheese Bags Take-Out Food Containers

Diapers must be disposed of in your residential trash.

QUICK TIPS

• Consider using cloth diapers. Not only is it better for the environment, it will save you money in the long run!

Related Recycling Categories

Aluminum Foil Broken Ceramics Candy Wrappers Carpet Chip Bags Coffee Pods Foam Plates, Cups, Egg Cartons, Bowls & Peanuts Frozen Food Bags Mattresses Mirror & Window Glass Paper Towels Party Cups Plastic Straws & Stirrers Plastic Utensils Salad Bags Shredded Cheese Bags Take-Out Food Containers

Some carpet installers may be able to recycle used carpet or padding.  Unfortunately, for a homeowner left with used carpet or padding there is no option available to recycle the material in Franklin County at this time. This material must be disposed with your residential trash or disposed of at the Franklin County Sanitary Landfill.

QUICK TIPS

• Some communities in Franklin County, including Columbus, require scheduling of bulk pick-up for collection of large items like used carpet. Columbus residents can call 614-645-3111 or use www.311.columbus.gov. Residents in other communities should contact their local political jurisdiction to determine if there are any bulk pick-up requirements.
• Room-sized pieces of new, unused carpet can be donated to Habitat for Humanity ReStore. Contact them at the link above for more information.

DIRECTIONS TO THE FRANKLIN COUNTY SANITARY LANDFILL

Related Recycling Categories

Aluminum Foil Broken Ceramics Candy Wrappers Chip Bags Coffee Pods Diapers Foam Plates, Cups, Egg Cartons, Bowls & Peanuts Frozen Food Bags Mattresses Mirror & Window Glass Paper Towels Party Cups Plastic Straws & Stirrers Plastic Utensils Salad Bags Shredded Cheese Bags Take-Out Food Containers