What You Can Recycle and Where to Take It in Indianapolis, IN

When was the last time you recycled? This morning? Yesterday? Not sure? When people are asked why they do not recycle, they respond with “it is too inconvenient,” “I don’t know what’s recyclable,” or “who cares?” Recycling is something everyone in the family can do every day. To help preserve our environment, we all need to reduce and eventually eliminate the amount of waste that is dumped into landfills and oceans. Together we can make a better future for the next generation. To make recycling easier, we have put all the information you need into one, easy-to-read guide. What’s recyclable. Where to recycle. What to do with items you can’t recycle. It’s all here!

What Can You Recycle?

The list of acceptable recyclables is growing thanks to advancements in recycling technology. Trying to remember what is and what is not recyclable can be frustrating, so we did the thinking for you! Here is a collection of the common items that can be recycled in the Indianapolis, IN area.

Plastic Recycling

Need to keep tonight’s dinner fresh? Plastic is the go-to for all your leftover needs! This lightweight material is great at keeping that meatloaf fresh, but horrible for the environment. Plastic uses fossil fuels in its production and causes harm to the environment when it is not recycled. Always remember, clean recycling is happy recycling. If there is any food or dirt residue in the container, it’s not recyclable. So be sure anything and everything is free of any kind of waste or crumbs. The easiest way to determine if your plastic is recyclable is to recycle by shape. If it resembles a jug, jar, or bottle, it’s acceptable. Acceptable plastic products:

• Water bottles
• Shampoo/soap/detergent bottles
• Milk jugs
• Contact solution bottles

If you have an odd plastic and are not sure if it is recyclable, check out Indiana’s acceptable items.

Paper Recycling

Almost every person uses paper in some shape or form every single day. Because of this, paper makes up about 29% or 71 million tons of the total amount of trash each year. Yeah, seriously. Recent waste studies have found that 45 million tons of paper are recycled each year in America. Maybe one day, all the paper will be recycled and reused. Acceptable paper products:

• Flattened cardboard
• Paper containers, paper cups
• Milk, juice, & soup cartons
• Newspapers
• Magazines
• Phone books

• Cereal/snack boxes
• Office paper
• Shredded paper (must be in a paper bag)
• Junk mail (be sure to remove your name/address)

Metal Recycling

According to Waste Management, of the 2.7 million tons of metals Americans discard each year, only 50% is recycled. Not cool. When you recycle metals, you are not only helping the environment, but also saving on the amount of energy that is needed to produce it. As mentioned earlier, clean recycling is happy recycling. Be sure any metal you recycle is free of food or product waste. Acceptable metal products:

• Aluminum Cans
• Aluminum foil
• Steel & Tin cans (soup cans, soda cans, beer cans)
• Any non-ferrous metals

Glass Recycling

Thanks to everyone’s recycling efforts, most glass jars and bottles are made with about 27% recycled glass. Some cities do not accept glass, but here in Indianapolis, IN, we are proud glass recyclers. In order for glass to be recycled, it must be in one piece and be clean. Shards of glass need to wrapped in paper and discarded in the trash to prevent injury to the workers to collect and sort the recycling. Acceptable glass products:

• Clear Glass/Jars
• Amber Glass/Jars
• Green Glass/Jars
• Any mixture of the above glasses

Battery Recycling

Many of the components found in batteries can be reused and repurposed to make new batteries or even other products, like steel and ceramics. Batteries of any kind should not be combined with your everyday home recyclables. Since they contain chemicals, they need to be taken to facilities where there are experts who can recycle the batteries and extract the chemicals they contain. Acceptable batteries:

• Car batteries
• Household batteries
• Button batteries
• Rechargeable batteries

Electronic Recycling

Any electronic that is broken, outdated, or ready to be kicked to the curb is called “e-waste.” All e-waste should never be combined with other recyclables. Instead, they need to be taken to facilities that know how to properly deconstruct and remove the components that can be reused. Acceptable electronic products:

• Cell phones
• Compact discs (CDs) and CD players
• Computers
• Copiers
• Digital cameras
• Electronic game systems
• Floppy disks

• Microwaves
• Monitors
• Printers
• Scanners
• Tapes and disk drives
• Television sets
• VCRs

Appliance Recycling

Did you purchase a new durable, high efficiency over for those holiday dinners? Did you recycle your old one? In many instances, the stores that you purchase your appliances from will haul away the old for you. If they do not, or you know for a fact that they will just dump it in some landfill, then it’s a great opportunity to recycle. Most appliances, especially the older models, are made mostly of metal. And metal is recyclable of course! When they are dumped in a landfill, the chemicals that may use to operate seep into the soil and eventually into a close by water source. For example, air conditioners and refrigerators use chemicals to chill air. Without being properly recycled, these chemicals will leak out and damage the ground around it. But when they are recycled, they can be properly extracted and reused in other appliances. Acceptable appliances in Indianapolis, IN:

• Air conditioners
• Clothes washers and dryers
• Dehumidifiers
• Dishwashers
• Freezers
• Furnaces
• Garbage disposals

• Heat pumps
• Microwaves
• Ovens
• Refrigerators
• Stoves and ranges
• Trash compactors
• Water heaters

Where Can I Recycle in Indianapolis, IN?

Depending on what you are recycling, there are several available options.

• Curbside Pickup
  • For the residents of Indianapolis, curbside pickup is available. The items that are accepted are paper, plastic, glass, and metal.  
    • If your weekly trash is collected by DPW or Republic Services and you wish to request curbside recycling, call Republic Services at 317-917-7300.
    • If your weekly trash is collected by Waste Management and you would like to subscribe to curbside recycling, call Ray's Trash Service at 317-539-2024.
• Drop-off Locations
  • For those homeowners that cannot get curbside pickup or wish to drop it off themselves, several drop-off facilities are located in Indianapolis, IN. Be sure to check out the table below for locations and their accepted recyclables.
• Grocery Stores
  • Have a bag full of plastic grocery bags stuffed in your pantry? You are in luck! Many grocery stores in and around Indianapolis now accept plastic bags. So the next time you go on your grocery run, take all those bags and drop them in the recycling container near the front of the store. If you can’t find it, be sure to ask customer service.
• Automobile Shops
  • Is there an old car battery sitting in your garage that you can’t stand the site of any more? Many mechanic shops will be happy to take and recycle that battery for you. The next time you are in for an oil change, ask if they accept car batteries.

Recycling Centers Near Me

Recycling Centers Near Me

What To Do With The Items You Can’t Recycle

While many items are recyclable, there are still some that are not quite there yet. For those things you can’t recycle, you have different options to pick from to dispose of your extra stuff.

• Sell It
• Donate It
• Take advantage of Indianapolis’ heavy trash pickup service. Once a month, two large trash items can be collected. These days vary based on your address, so be sure to look ahead for your specific days.
• If you have a lot of items that need to be trashed, you can always take the time to drive it to the dump yourself or you can rent a dumpster from Economy Dumpster. We will drop the dumpster off at your home or construction site, then come and haul it away for you! To rent a dumpster, contact us today!

Items You Didn’t Know Were Recyclable

When you hear the word “recycling,” what immediately comes to mind? Paper, plastic, glass, and metal. Did we guess correctly? Probably so. There are many other products out there that can be recycled, but since they are not as common, they are often forgot about and tossed in the trash. Here is a list of some uncommon recyclables, according to Rick LeBlanc of The Balance Small Business blog:

• Pet Fur
• Old Bras
• Glasses & Hearing Aids
• Mattresses
• Pantyhose
• CDs
• Tennis Balls

• Wine Corks
• Running Shoes
• Gift Cards, Credit Cards, & Hotel Keys
• Dentures
• Chewed Gum
• Holiday Lights

• Crayons
• Compact Fluorescent light bulbs
• Toilets
• Cigarette waste
• Solo Cups
• Artificial Christmas Trees

Recycling, It’s Easy!

Each year, millions of tons of trash are dumped into landfills across Indianapolis, IN. You can do your part in reducing this number and helping the environment just by simply recycling instead of tossing it in the trash. With all the information we provided in this article, we hope we helped you learn more about recycling and where you can take your items. With the growing number of recyclables and recycling centers, there is no reason why everyone can’t pitch in and help save the environment. So the next time you have some stuff in your home you need to get rid of, recycle first or call the dumpster experts at Economy Dumpster to rent a hassle-free dumpster for all your residential and construction waste needs. Recycle On!