Background

Most households in Indianapolis (pop. 844,220) receive a 96-gallon recycling cart to fill for automated, single-stream pick-ups. Marion County, which encompasses Indianapolis, is home to two MRFs that recycle more than 114,000 tons of materials annually. Recyclables are collected via automated curbside pick-up and various drop boxes located throughout the city (more information below).

Materials recycled

Paper Including newspapers and inserts (placed in a paper bag or bundled together), magazines, catalogs, phone books, soft-cover books, office/school paper, cardboard, paperboard and brown paper bags. Plastics Empty and clean plastic items numbered 1 through 7 are accepted, excluding Styrofoam, plastic flower pots, clear plastic take-out covers and microwaveable food trays. Plastic bags and plastic newspaper delivery bags are accepted. Flatten bottles and jugs whenever possible. Metals Including aluminum cans, steel/tin cans, aluminum foil and metal lids. Glass Glass jars and bottles

Frequency

Curbside recycling pick-up occurs on a biweekly basis. Carts must be placed curbside by 6 a.m. day of pick-up. A collection schedule is available online.

Other programs

More than two dozen drop-off recycling locations dot Indianapolis, accepting materials that can also be placed in curbside bins. For a complete list of drop-off spots, click here. Central Indianapolis — the downtown area and Broad Ripple and Massachusetts avenues — has begun to incorporate “pedestrian” recycling bins on busier sidewalks. These bins accept common on-the-go recyclables like bottles and cans. Indianapolis’ e-waste and household hazardous waste drop-off program, ToxDrop, offers four locations in the city. The act of dumping e-waste and HHW materials is considered illegal, so all residents must utilize this program whenever disposing of these items. For a list of accepted items and dates and times of special drop-off events throughout the year, click here. The locations:

• West Street Collection Facility, 1725 West St., Bldg. 1; open Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 9 to 11 a.m.
• IMPD Training Facility, 9049 E. 10th St.; open the first and third Saturday of each month, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Perry Township Government Center, 4925 S. Shelby St.; open the second and fourth Saturday of each month, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Trader’s Point Collection Facility, 7550 N. Lafayette Rd.; open the first and third Saturday of each month, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

More information

Visit the City of Indianapolis Department of Public Works website for more recycling program info.