Tulsa Curbside Recycling Update – March 14

3/14/2022

Since the return of curbside recycling January 31, the City of Tulsa has noticed a higher-than-average number of contaminated recycling carts.  

Most contamination has been seen in the form of plastic bags, Styrofoam, and other non-recyclable materials. Contaminated carts are not picked up and are identified with a yellow or white tag.  

To combat this, the City is asking all refuse and recycling customers to learn what can and can’t be recycled.  

An informative video on what types of things can and can’t be recycled can be watched online: English | Spanish  

Only recyclables allowed in the recycling stream should be placed in the blue cart. All trash should be placed in bags in the gray cart. The City’s educational campaign “Recycle This, Not That” highlights items that should be included in the recycling stream including aluminum and steel cans, paper and cardboard, plastic bottles and jugs, glass jars and bottles. When in doubt, check it out and/or leave it out.  

For more information about the City’s trash and recycling program and what can and can’t be recycled visit: www.tulsarecycles.com

Background
Tulsa Recycle & Transfer (TRT) installed a new system after contamination from a lithium-ion battery caused a fire at the facility in April 2021. TRT closed and the City of Tulsa sent both trash and recycling to the Covanta Waste for Energy Plant before TRT services were resumed at the end of January.  

All batteries should be recycled through the M.e.t. and specialized battery operators/stores. M.e.t. Depot locations can be found online at https://metrecycle.com.