Accepted items at the Recycling Center
Before recycling anything, see if it can be reused, repaired or donated first. Below is a list of items accepted for recycling or donation at the Recycling Center. Unlike curbside collection, you must separate your recyclables and place inside individually-marked bins as they are listed here. Please remember to rinse out bottles, jugs, jars, tubs, cans and other items that may have food residue.

 Mixed paper
 Newspaper
 Magazines and catalogs
 Phone books
 Corrugated cardboard
 Plastic-coated food boxes and cartons
 Plastic bags (grocery, department store, dry cleaning)
     Put into one bag and tie at the top
 Bubble wrap
 Pop, water & juice bottles
 Clear plastic bottles or jugs
 Colored plastic bottles or jugs
 Uncolored plastic bottles or jugs
 Plastic tubs, jars  & trays
 Tin & aerosol cans
 Aluminum cans, clean foil and trays
 Clear glass bottles & jars
 Brown glass bottles & jars
 Green glass bottles & jars
 Blue glass bottles & jars
 Red glass bottles & jars
 Packing peanuts (contained in securely tied bags or boxes with lids)
 #6 Styrofoam blocks
 Scrap metal (30 lbs or under and less than 4 feet in length or width, no lawnmowers)
 Inkjet or laser printer and toner cartridges (empty)
 Batteries
     Separate into three bins: 1) Household 2) Ni-Cads 3) Other
 Cell phones, batteries, chargers
     Other cell phone recycling locations:
     - Tacoma Public Utilities lobby
     3628 S. 35th St., 8 a.m.-5 p.m., M-F
     - Tacoma Municipal Building (2nd floor lobby)
      747 Market St., 8 a.m.-5 p.m., M-F 

Accepted for donation
Click on the items to learn more about these donation opportunities at the Recycling Center.

 Reusable clothing, household goods and furniture (Goodwill)

If you have a question about something not listed, e-mail solidwaste@cityoftacoma.org, or call (253) 591-5543 (M-F, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.).

Recycling Center hours & directions

Hours
8 a.m. - 6 p.m., every day
(Closed: New Year’s Day, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day)

Location
The Recycling Center is located at the Tacoma Landfill
3510 S. Mullen St., Tacoma, WA  98409

Directions

• From I-5: Take Exit 132 and merge onto SR-16. Take the Center Street/Fircrest exit. At the traffic light, go straight onto South Mullen Street and follow the road until you reach the landfill.
• From Orchard Street: Turn onto South Center Street going east. Turn right onto South Mullen Street and follow the road until you reach the landfill.

For more information, e-mail solidwaste@cityoftacoma.org, or call (253) 591-5543 (M-F, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.).

Electronics recycling
Computer and other electronics are not accepted for recycling at the Recycling Center. However, complete computer systems that work (no monitors) are accepted for donation at the Goodwill station, located at the Recycling Center.

Find complete information on other ways to donate and recycle your electronics.

Reduce and reuse before you recycle
While recycling practices increase, the total amount of waste generated continues to climb. Currently, Washington residents produce an average of 7.5 pounds of waste per person each day, compared to 7 pounds a day in 2003.

In addition to your current recycling habits, go a step further and learn ways to reduce the amount of waste you generate in the first place and how to reuse perfectly good items before they’re recycled or thrown in the garbage.

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