Recycling: Frequently Asked Questions

Plastic grocery bags are recyclable, but not in your curbside recycling bin.  The best way to recycle grocery bags and other plastic film is to take it back to the grocery store with you and place it in the bag-recycling box provided.  Many grocery stores will accept other types of 'plastic film' as well - including  clean and dry #2 and #4 plastic film such as dry cleaner bags, newspaper bags, bread bags, Ziploc bags, bubble wrap, and more - so check with a manager at your store today to see what they're accepting!

Clean and dry paper, cardboard, aluminum and steel cans, and plastic bottles, jugs and tubs.  View our recycling guidelines for more information about what materials are accepted county-wide, and get more specifics by contacting your recycling hauler!

Recycling centers for residential use only has separate bins for cardboard, metal and plastic containers, paper, glass, and clothing donations - exist at:

• Salt Lake Valley Landfill
  6030 W California Avenue
  Salt Lake City, UT 84104
  (385) 468-6370
  Open Mon-Sat from 7:00 am - 5:00 pm

• TransJordan Landfill
  10473 S Bacchus Highway
  South Jordan, UT 84009
  (801) 569-8994
  Open Mon-Sat from 7:00 am - 6:00 pm

For more drop-off locations sorted per item, visit our Hard To Recycle Materials webpage

For more information about drop-off locations near to you, visit our Recycling In Your Community webpage

Any plastic bottle, tub or jug - as long as it is clean and dry - can be recycled in Salt Lake County regardless of the number or chasing arrows. Other plastics generally are not recyclable in your curbside bin, although there may be drop-off recycling opportunities available near you.  Check out our Hard To Recycle Materials and Recycling In Your Community webpages to learn more.

Recycling rules can vary from city to city.  For further questions on which specific plastic items are recyclable in your community, we recommend contacting your recycling hauler for more specifics.  Don't know who picks up your recycling?  Find out here!

No, paper products such as paper towels, napkins, tissue paper and toilet paper are not recyclable. The paper fibers used to create these products are too small to be recycled again, and most are contaminated by food.

Select county libraries accept fluorescent tubes (up to four feet) and bulbs only.   Check our Hard To Recycle Materials webpage to learn which libraries accept them.

Ballasts, any size light tube, and bulbs can be brought to the Health Department's Household Hazardous Waste (HHW facilities at the Salt Lake Valley or  Trans-Jordan landfills.

The Salt Lake County Health Department operates full-service Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) facilities at the Salt Lake Valley and Trans-Jordan landfill properties.  This service is free to Salt Lake County residents only.  

A fee may apply to non-county residents and business waste.  Please call 385.468.3862 for more information.

Murray City also hosts an ABOP (Antifreeze, Batteries, Oil and Paint) drop-off site for the Salt Lake County Health Department.  These are the only accepted items at this site.  This site is located at Murray Public Works at 4646 S 500 W and is open from 7:00 am - 3:00 pm Monday through Friday.  Please contact Murray Public Works directly at (801) 270-2440 or visit their website for more information.

Mattresses can be recycled through Spring Back Utah.  They are located at 1989 South 4130 West Suite C and can be reached at 801.906.8146

Mattresses can also be brought to the Salt Lake Valley Landfill at 6030 W California Avenue for recycling.  A mattress/box fee of $15/unit will be charged.  

The Salt Lake County Health Department operates full-service Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) facilities at the Salt Lake Valley and Trans-Jordan landfill properties.  This service is free to Salt Lake County residents only.  

A fee may apply to non-county residents and business waste.  Please call 385.468.3862 for more information.

Murray City also hosts an ABOP (Antifreeze, Batteries, Oil and Paint) drop-off site for the Salt Lake County Health Department.  These are the only accepted items at this site.  This site is located at Murray Public Works at 4646 S 500 W and is open from 7:00 am - 3:00 pm Monday through Friday.  Please contact Murray Public Works directly at (801) 270-2440 or visit their website for more information.

Your community's waste hauler will be able to provide you with new or additional bins.  If you don't know your waste hauler's contact information, visit our Recycling in Your Community page.

The citizen unloading area at the Salt Lake Valley Landfill includes a drop-off for refrigerators where Freon or other refrigerants will be removed for proper disposal according to federal regulations before the fridge is recycled.  The landfill is located at 6030 W California Ave.

There is a $20 fee for each (with no food inside) fridge, freezer, icebox, ice machine, or other refrigerant-containing appliance.  

The Health Department's Household Hazardous Waste facility accepts TVs and other electronics at both the Salt Lake Valley and  Trans-Jordan landfill locations.

Liberty Tire Recycling accepts tires for recycling. They can be contacted at 801.364.7900 and are located at 1398 N Beck St., SLC, UT 84116.

The Salt Lake Valley Landfill also accepts tires for recycling, but can only accept four (4) tires per vehicle load. Fee of $3 for each tire.

There are multiple glass recycling drop-off locations in most communities in Salt Lake County.  Visit Momentum Recycling's drop-off location map for more information.

If the top of the box is clean of grease, cheese, sauce, or other food residue, you can tear the top off and recycle it.  The bottom should be thrown in the garbage.  If you're in any doubt as to whether the top is clean enough, throw it out.

No, there is no need to detach the can label, just makes sure any gobs of food are cleaned out of the can and toss it in your recycling bin.

The 3 golden rules of recycling are empty, clean, and dry. 

That said, a quick rinse will suffice with most containers.  Make sure they are drained of any liquids and scraped free of any food left in containers.  We recommend rinsing with dirty dishwater to conserve water when additional rinsing is necessary.