Page last updated on January 15, 2024 at 7:08 am
If have questions or need more information regarding your recycling, please contact the Sanitation Division at (812) 349-3443, or send an email to sanitation@bloomington.in.gov.
Please note: do not bag your recycling items, simply place them loose and directly into your recycling container. Also, never place any trash in your recycling container. Failure to comply with these guidelines will result in non-collection of your recycling container.
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Questions on what items can be recycled? Please click here to determine whether an item should be disposed of in the recycling cart or trash cart (site contains a complete listing of items and detailed instructions), or simply scan the QR code below with a smartphone’s camera:
Non-Recyclable Items
These items are non-recyclable and cannot be collected by the City of Bloomington. Failure to comply will result in non-collection of your recycling cart.
- Plastic film (like the plastic bags you receive from grocery or department stores, bubble wrap, shipping envelopes containing bubble wrap,umbrella bags, dry cleaner bags, etc).
- Flexible plastic (potato chip bags, applesauce pouches, food packaging bags, etc.)
- Clothing
- Diapers
- Personal hygiene products (deodorant, etc.)
- Light bulbs
- Window glass
- Wood or lumber
- Yard waste, dirt or debris
- Cat litter
- Furnace filters
- Household cleaning products
- Paint
- Hazardous materials
- Plastic flower pots
- Styrofoam* (all forms are non-recyclable)
- Wrapping paper of any kind
- Foam egg containers
- Motor oil bottles or anti-freeze bottles
- Wire hangers
- Wax or plastic-coated boxes
- Food grade cardboard (such as pizza boxes)
- Food waste
Recyclable Items
Please ensure that all your recyclable materials are approved items, clean and free of food debris. Recycling that is compromised will not be collected. If your container has compromised items in them, crews will place a sticker on it indicating why it was not collected.
DO NOT place recyclable items into bags of any kind. Please simply place all individual recycling items loose and directly into your container. Any recycling items found in bags will not be collected!
If you have questions on your items and want to see if they are or are not recyclable, please contact the Sanitation Division (812) 349-3443.
These are the items that can be placed in your recycling container for pick-up:
Paper Products (which must be dry) including:
- Newspapers
- Magazines
- Office paper
- Cardboard and paper board (remove any Styrofoam or liners from boxes)
- Junk mail
*** Please note that we do NOT take any type of paper products that have a waxy or plastic outer coating. This includes frozen dinner boxes, paper milk/juice cartons, juice boxes, etc.
Metal and Glass Containers (please rinse containers and remove all lids):
- Aluminum beverage cans
- Glass bottles and jars
- Steel and aluminum cans
- All bulk metal items, including steel, tin aluminum and copper. Metal must fit in recycling receptacle.
Plastics (Labeled No. #1-7): Please check to ensure plastics fall within this range and are cleaned of any residue:
- Soda pop and water bottles
- Milk or drink containers
- Food jars (ketchup, mayonnaise, peanut butter, etc.)
- Laundry soap containers
- Please note that labels do NOT need to be removed from soda bottles, soap bottles, etc.
Find your Recycling Day
Recycling collection occurs as a weekly service. Your recycling day will be the same as your trash day. You can search for your address using our myBloomington tool to find your recycling day.
View the Sanitation Pickup Areas Interactive Map
2024 Holiday Delays:
- There will be a one day delay in Sanitation services on the following holidays: Thanksgiving Day (Thursday, 11/28/2024), Christmas Day (Wednesday, 12/25/2024) and New Year's Day (Wednesday, 1/1/2025).
- Sanitation customers should place their waste and recycling carts on the curb by 5:00 a.m. one day after these holidays.
- Normal trash and recycling operations are in place with no service delays for ALL other 2024 federal and city holidays (i.e. MLK Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day/4th of July, Presidents Day, Juneteenth, Labor Day, Election Day and Veterans Day).
Single Stream Recycling: No Need to Separate Materials!
City of Bloomington recycling is single stream and picked up weekly. This means that you can throw all your recyclable materials into the same bin, without the need to separate any of the materials. All recyclables (metal, cans, glass, paper, etc.) can go right into the cart provided by the City.
DO NOT place recyclable items into bags of any kind. Failure to comply will result in your recycling cart not being collected. Please simply place all individual recycling items loose and directly into your container.
See further below on this page for more information on the specific items that can, and cannot, be recycled.
Recycling Carts
The City of Bloomington Sanitation Department provides one recycling cart, per household, in the following sizes (at no cost*):
- 35 gallon cart: (19" wide/23.75" deep/37.5" high): No cost
- 64 gallon cart: (24" wide/27" deep/41.5" high): No cost
- 96 gallon cart: (26" wide/34.5" deep/46" high): No cost
*If you choose to change the size of your recycling cart, there is a $25 exchange fee that will be reflected on your next City of Bloomington Utilities statement. If a new cart size is selected, the City will make all efforts to have it delivered to you by the next billing cycle.
Placement of Carts
The placement of carts is very important in order to guarantee collection service. Carts must be 4 feet away from any obstacles, including mailboxes, other carts, overhead wires, trees, etc. Carts must also be 10 feet away from vehicles.
The lid on your cart must be fully closed and all recyclables must fit into the cart. Carts must be placed at the curb by 5:00 a.m. on your day of pickup. Failure to comply with these guidelines could result in a missed pickup.
*** Please note: after pickup, your cart must be removed from the curb on the same day of pickup.
Cart Storage
Please store your carts in a covered area such as a garage or shed. If this is not possible, store them outdoors on the side or rear of your housing structure.
Electronics Recycling
The Monroe County Solid Waste Management District offers year-round, free recycling of electronics items* at all of their facilities for County residents. No electronics are placed in landfills and nothing is illegally exported to other nations. Electronics are transported and treated in accordance with the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act guidelines.
* Please note that a $20.00 per item fee does apply to any electronic item that has a 7 inch or larger screen (i.e. TV's, Computer Monitors, Laptops, Tablets, etc.). The District will accept any item that requires an electric cord or a battery to operate that does not have a screen free of charge.
For more information regarding electronics recycling, please contact the Monroe County Solid Waste District at (812) 349-2020 or visit www.gogreendistrict.com.
Stolen, Lost, Misplaced or Damaged Recycling Carts
Each cart has a serial code that links your new solid waste and recycling carts to your specific household. This is done through Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology. City staff will be responsible for making repairs to damaged carts and will work with residents when carts are stolen or misplaced. If a cart sustains damage caused by City services, the City will cover the cost of replacement. All other damages to the cart such as vandalism or mutilation will result in a $50 charge to the resident for a full cart replacement.
Options for Addresses that Don't Receive City Recycling Services
Residents who do not receive City of Bloomington sanitation services, have large amounts of recyclable items, miss their recycling day, or need to recycle other materials may visit any of the Monroe County Solid Waste District's facilities that are located throughout Monroe County.
Please contact the Monroe County Solid Waste District with any questions regarding facility locations, hours and the materials they will accept at (812) 349-2020, or visit www.gogreendistrict.com.