Sanitation Recycling Guidelines for Curbside Service 

On January 1, 2020, the City of Norman's recycling contractor, Republic Services, made changes to their acceptable items list. Glass and plastics marked #3 through #7 are no longer accepted. Numbers 3-7 include such items as yogurt containers, cottage cheese containers, margarine tubs, prescription drug containers, and other hard plastics.   

Republic made these changes in response to major shifts in the recycling industry over the past two years. For plastics #3 through #7, there is no longer a market for the product, so there is no way to recycle it responsibly.

Also, please place your good recyclables loose in your polycart.  If you like to carry them out in a bag, please use a paper bag and place in cart.  Paper bags are recyclable and don't interfere with the machinery that separates the recycle stream. 

Please don't use plastic bags to carry out recyclables. These are not allowed in the recycle stream since they get caught in the machinery at the separator facility.  If you have plastic bags, they can be taken to Walmart of Target for proper recycling. 

For more information, please see the following links:

Plastic bags should not be put in curbside recycling. 

Glass Elimination from Recycling

We can accept:

• Aluminum:  Empty Aluminum Cans
• Paper: Newspapers, Office Paper, Magazines, Advertising Inserts, Junk Mail and Phone Books, paper pieces should be larger than a credit card
• Plastics #1 and #2: Clean Milk Jugs, Beverage Containers, Detergent Jugs, Shampoo and Conditioner Bottles (Stamped #1 or #2 on the bottom.) 
• Steel and Tin: Clean Food Cans and Lids (empty cans only)
• Paperboard: Cereal boxes, Kleenex boxes (no wax coated paperboard)
• Cardboard and Paper Bags (Flatten cardboard and cut into pieces)

We are not able to accept:

• Garbage, Food Residue, Chemicals 
• Aluminum: Aluminum Foil and/or Trays, Aerosol Cans or Paint Cans
• Glass of any kind
• Paper: Tissue, Disposable Diapers or Rags, Wrapping Paper, Food-Soiled paper (such as pizza or fast food boxes), Books
• Plastics #3-7: Juice, yogurt, dairy, margarine tubs, prescription vials, garden pots or flats, plastic trays, cups and plates. Toxic Containers (such as motor oil), Plastic stretch wrap, Hangers
• Plastic Bags (shopping bags, garbage bags around recycling content, plastic bags around shredded paper, etc.)
• Other: Styrofoam, Packing Peanuts or Tissue
• Medical Waste
• Household Cleaners
• Tires

Make sure to empty and rinse all containers. 

For more recycling information please visit Recycle Norman or our recycling partner Republic Services. The following link will show a simple list of do's and don'ts for recycling: Recycling Simplified

To find your collection day, view our interactive Residential Sanitation Collection Maps and click on "Recycle Day and Week".