Background
The Solid Waste Disposal Authority of the City of Huntsville, AL (pop. 183,739), operates weekly curbside recycling collection for more than 95,000 households in Huntsville and surrounding Madison County. Though Huntsville and Madison County do not offer curbside glass recycling, the program does include household battery and used motor oil pick-up at the curb — recyclable items that usually must be dropped off at a household hazardous waste collection center. Huntsville uses blue recycling bins for its commingled recycling collection. Bins can be obtained by phoning 256.830.BINS.Materials recycled
Paper Accepted items include newspapers and inserts, magazines, catalogs, junk mail, stationery, shredded paper (sealed in a bag), computer and printer paper, school and office paper, paperback books, phone books, paper bags, paperboard and corrugated cardboard (cut to fit inside the blue bin). Plastics Any narrow-neck bottle numbered 1 or 2 on the bottom (rinsed; no lids or pumps) is accepted. No containers that held toxics allowed. No Styrofoam or plastic bags accepted. Metals Aluminum cans, tin/steel cans and empty aerosol cans (those that contained shaving cream, hairspray or air freshener) are accepted. No metal lids. Glass Glass products are not accepted at the curb. Batteries Household dry-cell batteries may be placed in a clear plastic bag beside the blue bin. Used motor oil Used engine oil from vehicles and lawnmowers may be put in a clean, clear plastic container with a fastened lid and placed next to the blue bin.Frequency
Huntsville residents take recyclables to the curb on a weekly basis, same day as refuse collection. A collection map is available online.Other programs
There are five drop-off recycling facilities in the Huntsville region that collect all of the above recyclables except for used motor oil and batteries:- Allied Waste Recyclery (1004 A Cleaner Way SW)
- Owens Cross Roads (Berkley Senior Center on Old Highway 431 in Owens Cross Roads)
- New Hope (222 Hayden St. in New Hope)
- New Market (District 1 Landfill, Beth Road east of Arnold Road in New Market)
- Hazel Green (Huntsville Madison County Senior Center, 775 Butter and Egg Rd. in Hazel Green)
Residents of Huntsville, Madison County and the neighboring city of Madison may bring their household hazardous waste to the Handle with Care Collection Center Building, located the Huntsville Landfill at 4100 Leeman Ferry Rd. SW. Accepted items include oil- or water-based paints, mineral spirits, turpentine, thinners, furniture strippers, paint removers, stains, aerosol cans, old TVs, computers, computer monitors, old appliances, transmission fluid, brake fluid, antifreeze, car batteries, used motor oil, weed killer, lawn products, herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, rodent poison, roach/flea powder, oven cleaner, toilet cleaner, disinfectants, drain cleaner, rug/upholstery cleaner, floor/furniture polish, ammonia, bleach-based products, acids, pool chemicals, photographic chemicals, solvents, household batteries, mercury-containing devices and fluorescent lights (including CFLs). Items may be dropped off on the first Saturday of the month (second Saturday if the first Saturday is a holiday weekend) from 8 a.m. to noon.
Plastic bottle caps can be recycled outside any Huntsville Fire Station location for free.
Operation Green Team, a Keep America Beautiful organization in Huntsville, collects inkjet printer cartridges for recycling at its headquarters at 308 Fountain Cir. SW.
Old license plates can be recycled at collection points outside of Madison County License Department locations.
Clothes and linens in any condition (bagged and tagged) can be dropped off Monday through Friday to the Christmas Charities office at 2840 Jordan Ln. NW.
