Recycling

• Plastic bottles and jugs 
• Plastic tubs and cups 
• Glass jars and bottles of any color 
• Aluminum cans and cups, steel cans 
• Cartons 
• Empty aerosol cans with lids and tips removed 
• Paperboard (cereal boxes, etc.) 
• Paper cups 
• Cardboard (broken down to 3-foot-by-3-foot sections) 
• A variety of paper products, including office paper, newspaper, magazines, junk mail and envelopes (with or without windows), telephone books and paper grocery bags 

Click here for a complete list of acceptable and unacceptable materials. 

Rumpke will accept plastic bottles, jugs, #5 tubs, and cups. The lids from these items are recyclable if replaced on the empty container. If you would not call the plastic item a bottle, jug, cup or tub, please do not include it in curbside recycling.  

Examples of acceptable plastics include (but are not limited to) soft drink and water bottles, shampoo bottles, kitty litter jugs, detergent bottles/jugs, milk jugs, etc. Additionally, butter, sour cream, cottage cheese and other tubs, as well as plastic beverage cups from fast-food restaurants (Starbucks, McDonalds, etc.) and plastic souvenir cups. 

Unacceptable plastics include berry containers and other clamshells, styrofoam cups, Solo cups, frozen meal trays, toys, to-go containers, plastic cutlery, plastic bags and plastic wrap. When in doubt, leave it out. 

Plastic bags are not accepted in the City’s curbside recycling program. Due to the stringent standards for the reselling of this material, manufacturers require plastic bags be clean, dry and in like-new condition to be used in the manufacturing process. Due to the collection and separation process, Rumpke Recycling cannot meet manufacturer’s standards. Many local retailers have established plastic bag recycling programs. We encourage you to seek out these types of opportunities to recycle your plastic bags and films. Click here to find an outlet in your area.

Please place your recyclable items loose in the cart or bin.  Do not place items in plastic bags.  The only exception is shredded paper, which should be placed in a clear plastic bag. All items should be empty (no need to wash, but please rinse).  Labels are ok and do not need to be removed.   

Plastic lids can be recycled by reattaching them to plastic bottles, jugs, and tubs. Please remove and discard plastic sprayers and pumps. Metal lids can be replaced on glass jars for recycling or thrown in loose. Please remove and discard plastic lids and straws from cartons.   

Your recycling will be collected every other week on the same day as your trash collection . (There are some exceptions to this for some commercial properties or CMHA housing locations - please call 513-765-1212 to confirm your recycling collection day or click here). Rumpke Recycling will collect the materials from your cart between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. Please note that in some neighborhoods, Rumpke Recycling may service customers on one side of the street several hours before servicing customers on the opposite side. Please wait until the end of the day to report a missed pick up, but do not wait any longer than 24 to 48 hours. A hard copy of the recycling schedule can be requested by calling (513) 765-1212. 

If your recycling hasn't been picked up by 5:00 on your service day: Within 24 to 48 hours of your service day, report the missed pickup by using the 311Cincy! mobile app or by visiting https://cagismaps.hamilton-co.org/csr/.  At the top of the page, select “Request Service”. Under “Step 1”, enter your street address and press the search button (magnifying glass). Once your address comes up, hit “Next”.  Select “Trash, Recycling & Yard Waste” and then “Recycling, report a missed Green Cart pick-up.” Alternatively, you may call 513-765-1212.  Once request is submitted, leave carts at the curb for next 24-hours to allow for service.

Green recycling carts containing trash or other non-recyclables (or as we call them, "contaminated"), find themselves in a strange predicament. The recycling collection crews are not supposed to collect contamination, and the trash haulers do not look into or collect the recycle carts (the programs are run by different departments under different contracts). They could end up sitting there, full of trash, indefinitely.

Once the cart is contaminated and/or yellow tagged, the contamination will need to be removed by someone in the household or a request will need to be placed to have the cart removed. The request for full cart removal can be placed by using the 311 Cincy! mobile app or by visiting https://cagismaps.hamilton-co.org/csr/.  At the top of the page, select “Request Service”. Under “Step 1”, enter your street address and press the search button (magnifying glass). Once your address comes up, hit “Next”.  Select “Trash, Recycling & Yard Waste” and then “Recycling cart, remove.” Please indicate that the cart is contaminated in the notes. Alternatively, you may call 513-765-1212.

The cart in question will be removed on the next trash collection day (regardless if it's the recycling week). It will not be automatically replaced. If you wish to have it replaced, you can do so in the same manner listed above, but as "Recycling, new/swap/missing cart". Note: cart replacement after contamination will require a conversation with a Recycling Specialist prior to delivery.

If you ever have reason to believe a garbage truck has picked up your recyclables, please report the incident via the 311Cincy! mobile app or by visiting 5916000.com.  At the top of the page, select “Request Service”. Under “Step 1”, enter your street address and press the search button (magnifying glass). Once your address comes up, hit “Next”.  Select “Trash, Recycling & Yard Waste” and “Service complaint, trash removal.” Alternately, you may call 513-765-1212.  The trash, recycling and yard waste trucks look very similar, so it is best to provide a truck number whenever possible to assure the complaint is correctly routed. 
 

Rumpke Recycling, the contractor for the City’s recycling program, is proud to take part in a sorting process called "Single Stream Recycling". Through this process, residents can place all recyclable items in their recycling bins for biweekly collection -- without sorting them. Eliminating the need for sorting at home makes the process easier on both residents and Rumpke drivers.

All the recyclable materials are placed together in the recycling truck, and transported to a Materials Recovery Facility. At the Materials Recovery Facility, the recyclables are sent through a series of machines, which separate the materials. Employees are stationed at several points throughout the facility to maintain quality control. Once the items have been separated, they are baled and shipped to end markets where they are manufactured into new items.  

The City of Cincinnati's recyclables are transported to Rumpke Recycling’s Material Recovery Facility in St Bernard, located at 5535 Vine Street, where they are separated by type through a manual and mechanical process. The material is then shipped to manufactures across the country. The manufacturers convert it into new and useful products.  If you would like to learn more about the recycling process, please visit www.rumpke.com.  Tours of the facility are also available.  Please call Rumpke at 1-800-582-3107 to schedule your visit.

Some of the products your recyclables become include:  

• Plastic: Plastic strapping, carpet fibers and backing, drainage pipes, park furniture, new containers, and clothing 
• Glass: New glass containers, road bed aggregate, and fiberglass components 
• Newspapers/Paper: More newsprint, paperboard, construction paper and animal bedding 
• Steel Cans: New cans, building materials, and new food cans 
• Aluminum Cans: New cans, rain gutters, and window frames 

Yes. Residents can tour Rumpke Recycling’s facility. Rumpke ask that participants be at least a freshman in high school. Please call Rumpke at 1-800-582-3107 to schedule your visit.