City Sanitary Services > Residential Services

You can also view how to prepare your carts at www.portlandoregon.gov/bps/carts.

Blue Recycle Cart

Please prepare your recyclables as instructed below. Recycling properly saves energy, reduces pollution, and preserves resources for future uses. Even a small amount of contaminants can cause manufacturers to reject an entire load of recycling, which may then end up as garbage in the landfill. This adds to the cost of collecting and processing, which can cause an increase in your garbage collection fees



Paper & Cardboard	Magazines, catalogs, phone books Opened junk mail, office paper Corrugated cardboard boxes Cereal, cracker, and shoe-type boxes Shredded paper (place in paper bag) Paper bags, paper egg cartons Labels from metal cans Wrapping paper, greeting cards (no tape, ribbons, or foil paper) Milk, juice, and soup cartons (rinsed, drained)	No plastic bags No liners Paper with food residue (pizza boxes, etc) Wax, plastic, or foil coated paper Paper containing wet strength (frozen food boxes, paper cups, paper plates, paper towels, tissue, pet food bags)
Metals	Metal cans (rinsed, drained) Clean foil, pie plates, and trays Empty aerosol cans (don't puncture or remove nozzle) Other scrap metal	30 lb max No longer than 30 inches
Plastics	Plastic bottles and tubs 6 oz. or larger (rinsed, no lids) Buckets no larger than 5 gallons (rinsed, no lids) Rigid Nursery Pots 4 inches across or larger (rinsed, no dirt)	Plastic bags and film (recycle plastic bags at the grocery store) Plastic bottles and tubs smaller than 6 oz. Styrofoam packaging, peanuts, trays, take-out containers Clear "clamshells" (bakery containers) Lids, trays, cups, plates, silverware Blister packaging (tough, clear, product- shaped display plastic) Toys Plastic that contained hazardous material (motor oil, pesticides, etc)
Glass	NONE	NO Glass of any kind

Yellow Baskets


Glass Bottles & Jars	Rinsed, loose, unbroken bottles and jars only	No lids or bags
Motor Oil	Place in an unbreakable, see-through container, with a screw-top lid and no larger than 2 gallons
NOT ACCEPTABLE		Plates, glasses, cookware, ceramics, candle holders, vases, light bulbs, mirrors, window or picture frame glass, any liquid other than motor oil

Green Compost Cart

If you prefer to bag your yard debris before placing it in your cart, or have more than will fit in your cart, be sure to use a biodegradable paper bag. You can find them at most grocery and hardware store.


	Food Scraps: meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, bones, eggs, eggshells, cheese, dairy products, bread, baked goods, pasta, rice, beans, nuts, seeds, coffee grounds, filters, tea bags, vegetables, fruit, paper napkins, paper towels, pizza delivery boxes, table scraps, plate scrapings, leftovers, spoiled food Yard Debris: weeds, leaves, vines, grass, small branches (less than 4" thick or 36" long), flowers, house plants, plant clippings, pumpkins	Keep these items out of your compost roll cart: plastic bags, non-approved compostable plastic bags, compostable plastic takeout containers and utensils, paper plates, cups and cartons, coffee cups, fast food wrappers, packaging, takeout containers, waxed paper, facial tissue, pet waste, cat litter, animal bedding, animal carcasses, fishing waste, large amounts of grease, cooking oil and liquid, fireplace ashes, dirt, rocks, sod, lumber, treated wood, sawdust, stumps, large branches (more than 4" thick or 36" long), Styrofoam, metal or glass corks, diapers (including those labelled compostable or biodegardable), textiles, clothing, linens, shoes, household garbage. Even if a plastic product says "compostable", please leave it out.