What's Recyclable and Where?

What is Recyclable?

Our mixed recycling program only accepts specific items that are able to be sorted efficiently and that are possible to be recycled in the midwest.  For items like scrap metal, motor oil, appliances, computers, plastic grocery bags, and many other items there are other places around town that will accept these to recycle.  Please see the Searchable Recycling Database on our homepage to view them all, or search by specific item.

All materials that go in to one of our drop-off bins or in to your curbside recycling bin should be empty, clean, and un-bagged!  Bagged materials will NOT get recycled!  The workers at the sorting facility send bagged materials to the landfill.  Very small items such as shredded paper or loose bottle caps should also not go in the mixed recycling bin.  Items smaller than a post-it note cannot make it though the sorting process and will fall through the gaps in the machinery.  Small items should go in the trash. 

The cities of Lafayette (807-1411) and West Lafayette (775-5242) also have curbside recycling programs that accept these same materials.

image showing what is accepted in this recycling program
Item Yes! Do Recycle No! Do Not Recycle 
Newspapers All newsprint and whatever
comes with your daily newspaper
 Wet newspaper
Magazines-Books-Paper All magazines, phone books, 
soft and hard-bound books, office paper
and envelopes
  
Corrugated Cardboard and
Paper Board Packaging
 Cardboard boxes and cardboard/paperboard 
packaging like cereal, pizza, cracker boxes, etc.
 Greasy pizza inserts, used paper plates,
paper towels, napkins, or tissues
Aluminum Beverage and food cans

Rinse before recycling
 Aluminum siding and other large items
Glass Clear, brown and green glass,
food and beverage containers

Rinse before recycling
 Mirrors, ceramics, dishware, windows, 
baking dishes, and light bulbs
Plastics Bottles, jugs, and jars-- Containers like soda, juice,
water bottles, milk jugs, dish detergent bottle, 
laundry detergent bottles

Rinse before recycling 

Keep plastic lid on the bottle, remove lid and throw
away if not plastic
 PVC pipe, hazardous waste containers--oil,
antifreeze, pesticides, herbicides, etc.

Number 3,4,5,6/Styrofoam containers and 
materials

Plastic bags, like shopping bags, plastic 
cereal bags, bread bags, Ziplock bags, etc

Disposable coffee cups 
Tin and Steel Products Soup, coffee, and fruit/vegetable cans

Rinse before recycling
 Paint cans, oil cans, and solvent cans

Hazardous waste containers--oil, antifreeze,
pesticides, etc.

Where is it recyclable? 

Recycling Drop-off Bin Locations 

Do you live in Tippecanoe County, but don't have access to curbside recycling? Take your recyclables to any of the sites below for free. They take the same materials as above and are open 24/7. 
Drop-off Bin Location/Address
Hershey Elementary School  7521 E 300 N, Lafayette, IN 47905
Stockwell Located by the grain silos at the intersection of Commerce St., Monroe St, and Yorktown Rd. 
Southwestern Middle School 2100 W 800 S, Lafayette, IN 47909
searchable database and homepage