Recycling in Philly 101: How to get a recycling bin, what to recycle and more

Recycling is such a simple concept. In theory. As long as it has the triangle arrow symbol on it, it should be A-OK to go in the blue bin — right? Not necessarily. In reality, recycling has become a bit of a minefield over the years as processes have advanced, contamination has increased and markets have changed.

In Philly, it’s easy to doubt whether or not your recyclables are being appropriately managed. After all, there was a time when the city used to incinerate half of its recyclables. And during the pandemic, recycling was mixed with trash.

However, in 2021 the Streets Department announced improvements to the process.

Now that the city is no longer mixing salvageable things with waste, we decided it was time for a little refresher on the do’s and don’ts of recycling.

Recycling bins can be expensive, ranging from $20 to over $100, but Philadelphia homeowners and renters can get free city-provided containers by picking up a recycling bin at one of the city’s six sanitation convenience centers:

You will need proof of address — government-issued photo ID counts as evidence. However, if your ID has an old address, bring a current a utility bill or lease. Folks are allowed one recycling bin per visit for up to two free containers annually.

In Philadelphia, trash and recycling get picked up on the same day but by different trucks. Check phila.gov to know when your recycling will be collected. In weeks with a holiday, pickup is delayed by one day.

According to the Residential trash and recycling rules, people can bring their bins out between 5 p.m. to 7 a.m. October through March, and from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. April to Sept.

You can also request a pickup online if your recycling or trash hasn’t been collected by 7 p.m.

✅ Make sure all recyclable items are empty, rinsed, and dry before going into the bin.

✅ Clean recyclable food containers. Too many containers with food residues can result in your bin contents being labeled “contaminated” and turned into trash.

✅ Break up empty boxes, fold and put it inside the recycling bin.

❌ Don’t put any plastic bags inside your recycling. Philadelphia has a single-stream recycling system, meaning all items go on a belt to be sorted. Plastic bags interfere with the process and get stuck in the machine. If a recycling bin has too many plastic bags, it’s considered “contaminated,” and your entire recycling becomes trash. Grocery stores have big cardboard boxes outside where you can recycle your plastic bags instead.

❌ Don’t put your recycling inside a bag. Use the recycling bin. Bagged recycling is designated as trash because there is no step in the process where collectors can check the contents of the bag.

Not your greasy pizza box. Knowing what goes or doesn’t go in the recycling bin can be confusing. Sustainability hubs like Green Philly have in-deep lists of what kinds of plastics and mixed papers are recyclable. But here is the general breakdown :

Hold off putting an item you are unsure of in the recycling bin or you risk your entire container becoming trash. Besides plastic bags, don’t put any of the following in the container:

Unless you accidentally put all the recycling in a bag, your blue bin contents shouldn’t be taken by the trash truck. If you see the wrong truck taking your recycling, call 215-686-5444 between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or email recyclingoffice@phila.gov to report it.

Trying to be environmentally friendly can be a hassle when what you need to recycle is missing from the list. But that doesn’t mean you are out of options.

The city has a tool to find recycling facilities for construction and demolition debris, electronics, hazardous waste materials, organic waste, textiles, used motor oil, and more. This search engine can also help you find places to donate food and used items.

PECO has an appliance recycling program for folks trying to recycle fridges, freezers, mini-fridges, and air conditioners. They won’t replace your item, but you can get paid $75 for the bigger appliances or a $10 rebate for the smaller ones.