RECYCLING & REUSE GUIDE
When it comes to waste, it can sometimes be difficult to know what goes where. Check out the information below to see how you can start diverting your waste for recycling and reuse locally.

Mixed Recycling:
1. Recycle from your curb! Use your green recycling cart to recycle aluminum and steel cans, paper, plastic bottles and jugs, cardboard, cartons and more!
2. Find a recycling drop-off location near you! There are a number of full-service drop-off sites located around the city where you can recycle your mixed recycling as well as glass.

Glass Recycling:
Glass is NOT accepted curbside in your recycling cart because it contaminates the other recyclables, is dangerous for recycling employees, and is problematic for recycling machinery.
- FREE - If you would like to recycle your glass, you can take it to an Omaha recycling drop-off site for free.
- PAID - Glassman Recycling & Repurposing offers a fee-based residential, home pick-up glass recycling service to the Omaha metro.

Plastic Bag & Film Recycling:
Did you know that some of the soft/film plastics that CANNOT be recycled in your green curbside recycling cart CAN be recycled using the Wrap Recycling Action Program (WRAP)? Items like plastic grocery bags, plastic film, such as produce bags, dry cleaning bags, and the wrap around paper towels can be recycled at participating retail and grocery stores.

Styrofoam Recycling:
Styrofoam / Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) is NOT recyclable in your curbside recycling cart or at a City of Omaha drop-off recycling site. For large pieces of EPS foam like styrofoam coolers and packaging inserts - you can take these items to Plastilite Corporation at 4930 Battlefield Dr in Omaha. They have a convenient EPS recycling collection container outside in front of their building that is accessible 24/7. Items should be reasonably clean and free of all glue, tape, and labels. Only large pieces of #6 EPS foam are accepted. (Please note, the following are NOT accepted at this location: no food service items such as take-out containers or foam cups - even if they are marked #6, no foam peanuts, no foam marked #5).

Hefty® EnergyBag® Program:
Hard-to-recycle soft/film plastics that CANNOT be recycled by the WRAP Program CAN be placed in the orange Hefty® EnergyBag®. Items include snack bags, candy wrappers, toothpaste tubes, plastic utensils, and polystyrene (styrofoam) cups, bowls, and take-out containers. When your orange bag is full, tie it up and place it inside your curbside recycling cart along with your mixed recycling. These are the ONLY plastic bags that should ever be placed in your recycling cart. The orange bags are hand sorted at the recycling facility.

Household Chemicals/Hazardous Waste:
Household products like antifreeze, bug spray, fertilizer, motor oil, paint thinner, and weed killer can pose a threat to health, safety, and the environment when improperly discarded. Douglas & Sarpy County residents can dispose of these toxic waste items at the UnderTheSink facility near 120th & I Streets for free.

Photographed by shottofill for Hillside Solutions
Composting:
- FREE - There are many different ways to compost - check out these helpful resources from the EPA to begin composting at home!
- PAID - Hillside Solutions offers a subscription-based composting drop-off service called the Compost Club. This program takes stuff you can’t compost at home, like meat, dairy, bones, pet waste (with restrictions), paper towels, compostable take-out stuff, etc. Join the Compost Club and gain access to a network of drop-off sites around the Omaha metro.
Recycling & Reuse Guide:
Some items cannot be recycled in your curbside recycling cart or taken to a City of Omaha recycling drop-off site, however, there may be other options for recycling or reuse. Keep Omaha Beautiful has created a Recycling & Reuse Guide to provide information and resources for diverting special waste items for recycling or reuse in Omaha.
Check out the list below for information and resources for diverting waste items for recycling or donation in Omaha. Please note that it is not an exhaustive list. Additionally, Keep Omaha Beautiful does not officially endorse any of the companies noted below.
If you have any comments on how to improve this Recycling & Reuse Guide and/or suggestions on resource listings to add, please contact us.
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Appliances
Appliances (functioning/good condition)
Appliances (nonfunctioning)
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Batteries
Batteries (rechargeable)
Batteries (single-use/alkaline)
- Batteries Plus Bulbs
- Battery Solutions - mail-in program
- Big Green Box - mail-in program
- Go Recycle USA - mail-in program
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Bike Tubes
- Green Guru - mail-in program
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Books & Magazines
- Goodwill
- Omaha Public Library
- Operation Paperback
- Together Omaha
- Recycle in your curbside bin or at an Omaha drop-off recycling location
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Carpet
- Habitat for Humanity ReStore - requires manager approval. must be new, not previously installed. minimum size of 100 sq ft.
- River City Recycling
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CD's, DVD's, & VHS Tapes
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Cell Phones
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Clothing
Clothing (for donation)
- Benson Area Refugee Taskforce
- Goodwill
- Heart Ministry Center
- Open Door Mission
- Scout Dry Goods & Trade
- Siena/Francis House
- Stephen Center
- The Salvation Army
- Women’s Center for Advancement
- Y.E.S. Youth Street Outreach Center
Clothing (not reusable)
- H&M
- Levi's - denim only
- The North Face
Clothes Hangers (metal/plastic)
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Contact Lens
Definitive Vision - used (or unused) contact lenses, foil, and plastic packs
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Computers, Electronics, & Televisions
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Concrete & Rock
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Eyeglasses
- Goodwill
- Definitive Vision - eyeglass lenses
- Lions in Sight - mail-in program
- The Salvation Army
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Ink & Toner Cartridges
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Lawnmower
- Habitat for Humanity ReStore - working condition only, call for approval
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Light bulbs
Bulbs & Tubes:
- Batteries Plus Bulbs
- Lowe's Home Improvement - CFL bulbs at in-store "Recycling Center" drop-off
- The Home Depot - CFL bulbs at in-store "Recycling Center" drop-off
Holiday String Lights:
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Lumber & Building Materials
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Mattresses
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Medications & Pharmaceuticals
- Hy-Vee
- Nebraska Humane Society - empty prescription bottles ONLY
- Nebraska Meds Coalition
- U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Collection Events
- Walgreens - select participating locations, call ahead
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Mercury
Air Conditioning Utilities - thermostats, thermometers
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Oral Hygiene Products
Good Life Smiles - toothbrushes, toothpaste tubes and caps, packaging, and floss containers (must be clean and dry)
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Paper Shredding
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Shoes
- See Clothing (for donation) category above
- Nike Reuse-A-Shoe
- Soles 4 Souls - drop-off locations and mail-in program
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Tanks - Helium & Propane
Propane Tanks
- Alter Trading - accepts bottles and tanks but must have the top cut off or depressurized
- Ferrell Gas - drop-off only, accepts empty or partially full propane tanks of any size
Helium Tanks
- Alter Trading - accepts bottles and tanks but must have the top cut off or depressurized
- UnderTheSink - accepts small, residential helium balloon tanks
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Tires
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Yellow Pages Phone Book
- yellowpagesoptout.com - opt-out of directory publications
Additional Resources for Recycling: