Not everything can be recycled. Check out our Waste Wizard and Recycle Right guidelines below for what you can and cannot recycle. Still have questions? Join one of our free webinars on how to Recycle Right.
hubNashville
Report a missed recycling pickup or other recycling collection issue
Nashville Waste and Recycling App
Use the Waste Wizard feature of Nashville’s Waste and Recycling App to look up what you can and cannot recycle in Nashville. Curbside recycling customer? View your collection schedule and sign up for recycling day reminders using the Calendar feature.
Recycle Right
How to Recycle
- Place only the following items in the recycling container.
- Items must be clean, empty, and dry.
- Place items loose in the container, Not in a plastic bag.
- Plastic caps should be left on or thrown away. Do Not place loose caps in the recycling container.
- Cardboard should be flattened.
- At recycling drop-off sites, items must be separated into appropriately labeled containers.
What Can Be Recycled
Paper and Cartons
- Paper
- Newspaper
- Magazines
- Food and beverage cartons
Cardboard
- Corrugated cardboard
- Toilet paper and paper towel rolls
- Cereal boxes
- Tissue boxes
Food and Drink Cans
- Food cans
- Beverage cans
Plastic Bottles, Jars, and Jugs
- Beverage bottles
- Kitchen, laundry, and bath bottles and jugs
- Milk and juice jugs
- Plastic food jars
Glass Bottles and Jars (Recycling Drop-Off Sites Only)
No glass in curbside recycling carts.
- Glass bottles
- Glass jars
Leave these out to Recycle Right!
- No food or liquid. Empty and rinse all containers.
- No glass in curbside bins. Recycling drop-off site only.
- Do Not bag recyclables. Place items loose in bin.
- No plastic bags, plastic wrap, or bubble wrap.
- No plastic of any kind that is not a bottle, jar, or jug. No takeout containers, Styrofoam, plastic cups or tubs, etc.
- No hoses, wires, chains, or electronics.
- No yard waste.
- No clothing or linens.
Curbside Collection Information
If you live in Nashville’s Urban Services District and receive trash collection from Metro in the brown rolling carts, your household is eligible to participate in the curbside recycling program. Eligible households are allowed up to 2 recycling carts at no cost.
If you live in the General Services District or a multi-family complex throughout Davidson County, contact your private hauler for information on recycling. All private haulers are required to offer a recycling option for their trash customers. Metro does not supply curbside recycling carts to buildings that use dumpsters for trash collection service.
Collection Guidelines
- Eligible households are allowed up to 2 recycling carts at no cost.
- Recycling is collected every other week.
- On your collection day, place your cart on the curb or alley by 6 a.m. with the arrow on the lid pointing toward the street or alley. Your recycling will be collected between the hours of 6 a.m. and 5 p.m.
- Items that are placed outside the recycle cart will not be picked up.
- Do not place the cart within 4 feet of any stationary object such as a car, mailbox, utility pole, recycling cart, etc.
- If recycling pick-up is delayed due to inclement weather, your recycling will be picked-up the following Saturday.
Holiday Collection
Recycling is not collected on holidays. If your recycling collection day falls on a holiday, all collection days after the holiday in that week will be delayed by one day. For example, if the holiday is on a Monday, collection for Monday customers will be on Tuesday, Tuesday customers on Wednesday, Wednesday customers on Thursday, etc.
Get "The Nash Trash" News
Sign up for "The Nash Trash" newsletter. "The Nash Trash" gives you the news you can reuse from Nashville Waste Services to help keep Nashville clean and green, with:
- Tips on recycling, composting, and all things zero waste
- Updates about recycling collection and drop-off sites
- Practical resources for low-waste living