Recycling - Bin Collection

General Information

  1. Place your recycling bin at the curb no later than 6:00 a.m. on your collection day!
  2. Place your recycling bin within 5-6 feet of the roadway and at least 3 feet from your trash cart, placing it in a highly visible location.
  3. Please do not place needles, tobacco products, diapers, broken glass, or other trash in with your recyclable materials.
  4. Please remove all liquid, food residue, plastic linings, and lids from containers.
  5. Labels do not have to be removed from recyclables.
  6. Bundle or bag newspapers, paperboard (ex: cereal, detergent, and cracker boxes), and junk mail (ex: catalogs, magazines, & news inserts) separately in paper grocery bags.
  7. During inclement weather, please place your bagged paper recycling on top of other recyclables in your bin with the lid securely fastened. We do ask that you keep all paper products and cardboard inside during inclement weather, saving them for your next collection day.

Steel Cans, Aluminum Cans and Glass (Green/Brown/Clear) Containers

  • Glass containers only - No dishes, Pyrex, lightbulbs or window glass (Please do not place broken containers into the bin).
  • Steel cans include any food or liquid container like soup cans, canned juice, coffee cans, etc. Please place your steel lids inside steel cans.
  • Aluminum cans are typically used as beverage containers, please make sure all liquid is drained from these containers. Please do not place foil in your recycling bin.
  • Place all clean containers in your recycling bin.

#1 and #2 Plastic Bottles

The City of Fayetteville can only accept #1 and #2 plastic bottles.

Because of various molding processes, the easiest way to tell if a plastic product is recyclable in our community is by looking to see if it is in the shape of a bottle. The next step is to look and see what number is on the bottom of the bottle.

  • Examples of #1 and #2 plastics we can recycle include dishwashing liquid bottles, shampoo bottles, plastic soda bottles, water bottles, detergent bottles, and milk jugs.
  • Please remove all plastic container lids, as this helps insure the container contains no liquid. Please make sure that no tobacco products are in any of your containers.
  • Motor Oil containers are not recyclable. The residue left in the container is difficult to wash out, therefore contaminating the material. Please place used motor oil in these containers and take to the Washington County Household Hazardous Waste Facility located at 2615 Brink Dr. in south Fayetteville or call (479) 444-1725 for more information.  Please place empty used motor oil containers in the trash.

Mixed Paper

Mixed paper (commonly known as junk mail) is comprised of various types of different paper items. Typically mixed paper consists of: catalogs, magazines, flyers, copy paper, telephone books, sweepstake entries and similar paper received through the mail. If you are recycling mailings please make sure that plastic inserts are removed.

  • Mixed paper should be placed in a paper grocery bag and/or in a separate bin
  • Telephone books and magazines are collected curbside; however, if you have large amounts (more than 1/2 of a grocery sack) of these items please bring them to our 24 Hour Community Recycling Drop-Off at 1560 Happy Hollow Road to be recycled.
  • During inclement weather, please make sure that your mixed paper is inside a recycling bin with the lid securely placed on the bin. Wet paper is not marketable.
  • Shredded paper can be brought down to the Recycle Center or it may also be taken to the local Animal Shelter on Armstrong Avenue for use of homeless animals.

Newspapers

Newspaper is easy to recycle but must be kept dry and out of the sunlight. Please make sure to remove any plastic wrapping before placing in the recycling bin.

  • Newspaper should be placed in a paper grocery bag and/or in a separate bin.
  • During inclement weather, please make sure that your newspaper is inside a recycling bin with the lid securely placed on the bin. Wet newspaper is not marketable.
  • Inserts that originally came with your newspaper may be recycled in with newspaper.
  • Packing paper may be folded and placed in the same bag or container as newspaper.  Please bring large amounts to he recycling drop off located at 1560 S. Happy Hollow Road (located just off 15th Street in southeast Fayetteville).

Paperboard

Paperboard, also called "chipboard", is used for packaging items like cereal, shoes, crackers, etc.

  • Please remove all plastic liners before placing the materials out for recycling.
  • Please breakdown and flatten all of your chipboard.
  • Place chipboard in a seperate recycling bin or place it in a paper grocery sack for collection (almost all local grocery stores do carry the paper grocery bags, if you do not see them, please ask the cashier if they are available at that location).

Corrugated Cardboard

Corrugated Cardboard is easy to recognize because it is thick and has a waffled middle layer for strength.

  • Please flatten all cardboard and place it underneath your recycling bin (another heavy object may be used), so that the wind does not blow these materials around your neighborhood.
  • During inclement weather, please keep your cardboard recycling until your next collection day or bring it to our 24 Hour Community Recycling Drop-Off at 1560 S. Happy Hollow Road (located just off 15th Street in southeast Fayetteville).
  • Pizza boxes are recyclable, but please remove leftover food scraps from the boxes.