The City of Tulsa has an extensive system for recovering resources from regular household waste. At the waste-to-energy plant, even metals are reclaimed from trash after it is processed. The incinerator produces valuable steam energy that helps power a local refinery.
Our trash service is based on a “pay-as-you-throw” model that allows you to control how much you pay each month. The less trash you throw out, the smaller the cart you need. And the smaller the cart you need, the less you pay.
When you recycling in your blue cart:
Only recycling placed in City of Tulsa issued recycling carts will be collected
Place all recyclables loose in the cart. No need to separate!
Do not bag recyclables.
Cart(s) must be set out before 5 a.m. on your collection day. The hauler has until 8 p.m. to collect your recyclables.
Cart lids must be closed completely.
Cart(s) must be removed from the curb within 12 hours after the cart has been serviced.
Position carts at the curb with lid opening toward the street
Please leave 3 ft. of space between the recycling and refuse carts and place away from any obstruction (i.e. landscaping, light pole, basketball goal, vehicles, mailbox).
Recyclable Items
Aluminum & Steel Cans
Place the empty cans in the blue recycling cart. Ensure that all food residue has been removed from the containers and refrain from crushing cans. A good rule of thumb is to only recycle items from your kitchen, laundry room and bathroom. Any items from the shed or garage should not be recycled. Cleaning and crushing cans is not necessary.
Plastic Bottles & Jugs
Place empty bottles and jugs in the blue recycling cart. Leave the caps and lids securely on the bottles. No flexible film please. A good rule of thumb is to only recycle items from your kitchen, laundry room and bathroom. Any items from the shed or garage should not be recycled.
Cardboard & Paper
Place cardboard and loose paper, including junk mail, in the blue recycling cart. Please ensure that all food residue has been removed from pizza boxes. A good rule of thumb is to only recycle items from your kitchen, laundry room and bathroom. Any items from the shed or garage should not be recycled.
Glass Bottles & Jars
Place only clear, brown, blue and green beverage bottles and food jars in the blue recycling cart. All containers should be completely empty of food or other residue. A good rule of thumb is to only recycle items from your kitchen, laundry room and bathroom. Any items in the shed or garage should not be recycled. Cleaning bottles and jars is not necessary.
Non-Recyclable Items
Residential Trash
Recycling waste should always be the top priority, as it ensures materials are reused. But, if an item is not recyclable, it should be placed in the gray cart. And don’t forget: When in doubt, throw it out!
Click here for more information about Tulsa’s residential trash program.
Branches, Grass & Plants
Tulsa is a green city, and our yards generate a lot of organic or garden material — what we call “green waste.” It’s a valuable source of firewood for the winter, mulch for your flower beds and can be used on land reclamation sites.
How to dispose of your yard waste: Want to learn more? Click here for more information about the green waste/yard waste services offered by the City of Tulsa.
Another green option is the City of Tulsa’s mulch site: If you would like to have your green waste recovered and used for a green solution, take it to the City of Tulsa’s mulch facility at 2100 N. 145th East Ave. This is a free service for City of Tulsa residential customers. The facility is open seven days a week from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (except on City holidays) — just remember to bring your driver’s license or your MOST RECENT City of Tulsa utility bill. Remember that all times, phone numbers, and addresses need to be bolded.
BIG, Bulky Items
Don’t despair, even the items that just can’t fit into your trash cart — an old sofa, your broken bicycle, the black-and-white TV gathering dust in your spare bedroom — can still be disposed of.
The City of Tulsa provides a handy bulky waste collection service to help you remove those items, so you can tidy up around your house and yard.
The fee for this service is $10 per eight cubic yards (approximately the size of a small vehicle, such as a Mini Cooper).
To schedule a bulky waste collection, call 311 at least two business days before your primary service day. The collection of bulky waste items will occur on your primary service day.
Click here for more information about Tulsa’s Bulky Waste services and a list of the items accepted.
Chemicals, Cleaners & Paints
If not handled correctly, items like lawn chemicals, household cleaners and oil-based paints can cause serious harm to the environment.
To make disposal of these items safer and easier, TARE and the City of Tulsa now offer a collection facility, open year-round and free for Tulsa residents, to dispose of household pollutants (NOT available for commercial companies or businesses).
Tulsa’s Household Pollutant facility has a certified staff with more than 25 years of collective experience and on-site training in handling household pollutant materials. No appointment necessary. (918) 591-4325 4502 S. Galveston Ave.
Click here for more information about Tulsa’s new Household Pollutants facility and a list of accepted items.
Learn more at http://tulsarefuse.org/ and https://www.cityoftulsa.org/government/departments/streets-and-stormwater/refuse-recycling/recycling/
