Recycling can be tricky, especially in Nashville, where not every neighborhood has recycling collection, and some commonly recycled materials are only accepted at drop-off centers. Here’s your guide to recycling in Nashville.
♻️ Why Recycle
Recycling helps conserve natural resources, saves energy, reduces pollution, diverts waste from landfills, and supports local jobs. Recycling 10 plastic bottles saves enough energy to power a laptop for over 25 hours. Here’s a cool tool to estimate how much energy you save by recycling certain materials.
🗑️ How Recycling Works in Nashville
- Metro Nashville offers curbside recycling pickup if you live in the Urban Services District, and will provide two recycling carts at no cost. If you need a new cart, contact hubNashville.
- If you live in the General Services District or a multi-family complex, like an apartment or condo, you’re ineligible for recycling pickup, and must contract with a private company, or take your recycling to a drop-off center. This includes Bellevue, Old Hickory, Joelton, and much of Madison and Antioch.
- Recycling pickup occurs at eligible households every two weeks. Find your schedule by entering your address on this map.
- Set your recycling carts on the curb on pickup day by 6 a.m. Place your carts away from stationary objects, like your mailbox or utility poles.
- If recycling is delayed due to inclement weather, pickup is the following Saturday. If your recycling day falls on a holiday, it will be collected the following day.
- Place your emptied recyclables loose in the bin. No need for bags or to sort it first.
- Many drop-off centers are open 24/7.
🚮 What Can Be Recycled
- Paper and cartons, including mail, newspapers, magazines, and milk cartons. Tip: Shredded paper is too small to recycle (though it’s good to compost), and wrapping paper or papers with glitter can’t be recycled.
- Clean cardboard, including toilet paper and paper towel rolls, cereal boxes, and tissue boxes. Tip: Break down the boxes first. Greasy pizza boxes can’t be recycled.
- Food and drink cans, excluding aerosol cans.
- Select plastic bottles, jars, and jugs, including plastic milk jugs, emptied laundry detergent containers, and drink bottles. It doesn’t include plastic bags, take-out containers, pill bottles, or cups.
- Glass bottles and jars can be recycled at drop-off centers only.
- Make sure to rinse out any materials before recycling.
- All yard waste, like leaves and grass clippings, is banned from trash pickup. Brush collection happens four times a year.
- Take compostable materials to one of our four convenience centers. You must show your ID to prove you live in Davidson County for materials to be accepted.
- Unsure if something can be recycled? Check Metro’s recycling wizard.
