Curbside recycling program

Salt Lake City contracts with Allied Waste to collect recyclables from an estimated 6,800 residential homes per day, five days a week.  An average of 850 tons of material are recycled each month.

Recyclables are collected weekly from 90-gallon, blue recycling containers on the same day as garbage collection. To find out your collection day or other information call 535-6999, or click here to see the route map.

Recycling instructions

Do

• Put all your recyclables in one container

• Wheel your recycling container out on the same days as your garbage collection before 7 a.m.

• Place your recycling container at least three feet from your garbage container and other obstructions

• Set your recycling container out only when it is at least 3/4 full

Please do not

• Do not put the following items in your curbside recycling container:

  • Glass

  • Clothing

  • Napkins, paper towels, toilet paper

  • Food and food wrappings

  • Small appliances

  • Yard waste

  • Hazardous waste (paint, pesticides, other chemicals)

• Do not set recyclables on the side of the recycling container or use any container other than the 90-gallon, City-issued, blue recycling container.

Fees and services

No fees will be charged for residents on the City garbage collection program.

A fee of $3.75 per container per month will be charged on the Public Utility billing for non-garbage customers.  (Click here for more information on how business and multi-family owners/managers can subscribe to the City's curbside recycling program.)

Lost, stolen or damaged garbage and recycling containers

If your garbage or recycling containers are stolen, call the Police Department at 799-3000 to report the incident. The Police Department's representative will issue you a case number. Then call the Salt Lake City Streets and Sanitation Office at 535-6999. A new container will be issued at no additional charge when you provide the case number.

If your garbage or recycling container is damaged as a result of your neglect or misuse, the City will replace the container and assess the replacement costs on your monthly water bill.  The cost of a replacement container is $55.00 plus an $11.00 delivery fee.

Special services

Allied Waste will provide a yard service (a special recycling collection service) for both handicapped and the elderly citizens in Salt Lake City. The operator will enter the citizen's yard and roll the recycling container to the curb where it can be dumped. After the container has been emptied, the operator will return it to the original location in the citizen's yard.

To receive this special collection service, you must call the Salt Lake City Streets and Sanitation office at 535-6999, explaining why you require the service. The Sanitation Manager will assess each request to determine eligibility. 

Violations

Placing non-acceptable items in the recycling container increases the City's cost to provide the program.  The City may discontinue providing recycling services for those who do not comply with the rules of the recycling program.

Salt Lake City wins "Cans For Cash" national contest for the second consecutive year!

Salt Lake City developed the most innovative idea to promote aluminum can recycling.  We hosted a contest for school children to write scripts for a commercial promoting aluminum can recycling.

Girl Scouts from Beacon Heights Elementary School wrote the winning script and worked with KUTV Channel 2 to have the commercial produced.  It is currently being aired on Channel 2. Click here to see the commercial.