Recycling is easy. Weekly recycling collection is available to every home, apartment, non-profit and business located with the City of Ann Arbor for no additional charge.
Cart recycling guide
Recycle Ann Arbor also has an interactive recycling guide with a keyword search ability.
Yes
- Mixed paper – newspapers, magazines, catalogs, junk mail, office paper, cardboard, frozen food and cereal-type boxes
- Metal cans
- Glass bottles and jars, remove tops
- Cleaned plastic bottles, containers and tubs (screw on caps: keep on, flat plastic lids: throw away)
- "Aseptic" and "Tetrapak" cartons. These are typically used for milk, juice, soymilk, chicken broth, almond milk, etc.
*Keep caps on plastic, remove from glass
No
- Plastic bags or film
- Styrofoam*
- #3/PVC plastic
- Biodegradable plastics (marked “PLA” or “BPI”)
- Batteries & Electronics
- Light bulbs
- Toxic materials such as motor oil
- Medical waste, syringes
- Hardcover books
- Ceramics or pyrex dishes
- Textiles*
- Wood or construction debris
- Paper cups
- Yard trimmings or plate scrappings
- Shredded paper
*These items can be taken to the
Drop-Off Station. See their website for restrictions and additional recycling details.
Carts must not exceed 112 pounds for the 32-gallon, 224 pounds for the 64-gallon or 336 pounds for the 96-gallon size. Carts over the limit will not be serviced.
CartsRecycling carts are required unless location is using an approved recycling dumpster for materials. All recycling carts are managed by the city.
Single family/duplex:
The first 32- or 64-gallon recycling cart is free to new construction or newly annexed properties.
Annual $36 fee to upgrade a cart to 96 gallon, which is added to the quarterly water bill.
Annual $176 fee for each additional recycling cart at the same address, which is added to the quarterly water bill.
$59 fee for the delivery of additional carts, return of unwanted carts, or cart exchanges. A $15 credit will be applied to downsize a cart from 64 gallon to 32 gallon.
$24 can be assessed to power wash overly dirty or foul smelling returned carts.
$67 to return to service each cart not set out on time.
Multi-family and apartments:
- 96-gallon recycle carts are provided at a pro-rated level based on number of residential units.
- Annual $176 fee for each additional recycle cart.
- Locations with 10+ units are required to use recycling dumpsters.
- $122 for extra tips for recycle dumpsters serviced by the city.
*Carts exceeding 112 pounds for the 32-gallon, 224 pounds for the 64-gallon, or 336 pounds for the 96-gallon size will not be serviced.
Business
The city can assist your businesses recycling program by,
- Performing a recycling analysis to determine how to set up a recycling program
- Providing posters, decals and signs
- Setting up a recycling program, including placement of bins and signage
- Presentations to staff on how and what can be recycled
For more information on this service, please contact Jennifer Petoskey, solid waste compliance and outreach specialist, at
[email protected] or 734.794.6350 x 43317.
Recycling events**In person events are currently cancelled due to COVID-19.
In lieu of in person events, the Ecology Center has put together Craft and Chat videos that can be found on their YouTube channel.
Reuse and bulky item disposal
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! The biggest savings to the environment in terms of resource use, energy savings, and pollution reduction come from reduced purchasing, thrifty purchasing (avoiding consumer waste) and reusing/repairing items before recycling.
