Recycling

Request a Recycling Cart Online

Complete a quick online form and a recycling cart will be delivered to your home. 

Request a Recycling Cart

Request a Recycling Cart by Phone

Call 311 or (269) 337-8000 to request a recycling cart by phone.

Request a Recycling Cart in Person

You can always visit the Public Services Department at 415 Stockbridge Avenue to request a recycling cart in person.

It can take up to two weeks for a recycling cart to be delivered. 

Place all plastic, metal, and paper recyclables loosely in your cart. Please do not bag or box items. 

Make sure all items are empty, clean, and dry! 

It's O.K. to leave the labels and lids on containers. 

Accepted: 

• Tin, steel, and aluminum cans and lids
• Clean aluminum foil. Please collect it into a ball instead of recycling small pieces. 
• Plastic drink bottles (pop, water, etc.)
• Food and household bottles and jars (ketchup, laundry detergent, shampoo, etc.)
• Plastic tubs and lids (yogurt, margarine, etc.)
• Glass food jars and bottles (pasta sauce, wine bottles, pickles, etc.)
• Magazines, newspapers, and envelopes
• Wrapping paper without glitter or foil
• Paper with staples or clips
• Non-refrigerated paperboard or boxboard (tissue boxes, cereal boxes, etc.)

Not accepted: 

• Batteries
• Wire hangers
• Scrap metal, screws, or nails
• Needles or syringes
• Glass for cooking and heat resistant glass (like Pyrex and canning jars)
• Light bulbs
• Refrigerated and wax-coated paperboard (orange juice or milk cartons, some frozen food boxes, etc.) 
• Paper towels, tissues, napkins, or plates (even if they haven't been used)
• Cash register receipts
• Plastic grocery bags (you can recycle these at many big box stores)
• Any paper or cardboard with oil or food residue 
• Glass broken into small pieces
• Styrofoam or EPS foam
• Electronics

If you have a question about something that isn't listed, you can look it up using the Recycle Coach app! Just search for "Recycle Coach" in your device's app store, or you can use the plug in online at www.kalamazoocity.org/recyclecoach.

Recycling is collected every other week based on where you live in the city. You can search for your address and find all of your collection schedules here.

Recycling Map & Schedule(PDF, 3MB)

If your collection falls on Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, or New Year's Day, your collection and all remaining collections that week will be delayed one day, with Friday collections occurring on Saturday. 

Carts should be placed at the curb by 6 a.m. on your collection day. Please do not set them out no sooner than one day prior to collection.

Please remove your cart from the curb area by 11 p.m. on the day of your collection. 

These times are set by city ordinance so make sure you follow them- carts left out at the curb too early or left out too late are considered a nuisance and may result in enforcement action without notice. 

If your pickup was missed, please report it within 48 hours. You can report a missed pickup online or by calling 311 or (269) 337-8000.

Report a Missed Pickup Online

Residential properties with five or more units can recycle too. A variety of container sizes and collection schedules are available to meet resident needs. Multi-unit recycling collects the same materials as the curbside program and offers 24-hour access to residents. If you’re not already recycling, ask your property manager to start today! If you manage a multi-unit property, call 311 or (269) 337-8000 to offer recycling for your tenants. 

City residents can also drop-off recyclable materials to Republic Services. If you have questions about recycling drop-off, please call 311 or (269) 337-8000.