Curbside recycling is available to Iowa City residents living in single-family homes up to 4-unit residential buildings ($8.50/month on utility bill).

Curbside recycling is single stream in Iowa City, meaning residents do not need to sort materials. All accepted materials can be placed in the same cart. The City provides 65-gallon blue-top recycling carts to curbside customers.

For all recycling, composting, and garbage curbside collection program information, visit www.icgov.org/curbside. 

East Side Recycling Center  

2401 Scott Blvd. SE, Iowa City

Cardboard, paper, glass, plastic, metal, oil, and wine cork recycling are located in the parking lot and Oil Recycling Shed, and these services are available 24/7 at no cost.

Electronic, small appliance, and light bulb recycling are available through Restore Donations around the back of the main building, and these services are available during their open hours only.

Recycle these items: 

• Antifreeze and oil
  • Examples: motor oil, vegetable oil, oil filters, antifreeze
    • Bring liquid in sealed, labeled plastic bottles (must be less than 5-gallon size) with secure lids, and leave in the Oil Recycling Shed.
• Cardboard
  • Examples: corrugated cardboard
  • Flatten and size each piece to a maximum of two by two feet. 
• Electronics and small appliances
  • Recycle at ReStore Donations during open hours (Wednesday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.).
  • Computers: $20 each (fee includes components)
  • Televisions: $20 each (fee includes components)
  • Other electronic items: $3 each
    • Examples: printers, central processing units (CPU), VCR devices without a CRT screen/monitor, ink or toner cartridges, cell phones, DVD players, cameras, stereos, toys, radios, electric bike batteries, electric scooters
  • Holiday light strands and electronic cords: no cost
  • Small appliances: $3 each
    • Examples: vacuum cleaners, alarm clocks, toasters, blenders, coffee makers, lamps, irons, ceiling fans, humidifiers
• Glass
  • Examples: all colors of glass bottles and jars (such as clear, blue, green, and brown) including food and beverages containers, candle jars, clear drinking vessels
• LED and CFL light bulbs
  • Recycle at ReStore Donations during open hours (Wednesday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)
• Metal cans and foil
  • Examples: metal drink and food cans, aluminum pie pans, aluminum foil (aluminum foil in 2-inch ball minimum)
  • Items should be empty and rinsed.
• Paper
  • Examples: newspapers, magazines, office paper, junk mail, paperboard, telephone books, paperback books, waxy cartons and aseptic packaging
• Plastic bottles, jugs, jars, and round tubs
  • Examples: drink bottles, detergent bottles, medicine bottles, yogurt cups, food jars (such as for mayonnaise and peanut butter), round food tubs (such as for sour cream and butter).
  • Items should be empty and rinsed.
  • Leave caps on!
• Wine corks
  • Place corks in cork recycling bin in the Oil Recycling Shed.

Do not recycle these items: 

• Plastic bags or wrap
• Styrofoam
• Clamshell plastic containers
• Bulky plastic items (such as lawn chairs or garbage cans)
• Motor oil and fertilizer bottles
• Gift wrapping paper (with metallic, glitter, or plastic coating)
• Other items not listed on the accepted items list

Not sure if an item can be recycled? 

Do not recycle it, or contact the Recycling Coordinator to learn more at recycling@iowa-city.org. 

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Sturgis Ferry Park Recycling Center

1700 South Riverside Drive, 24/7

Recycle these items at no cost: 

• Cardboard
  • Examples: corrugated cardboard
  • Flatten and size each piece to a maximum of two by two feet. 
• Glass
  • Examples: all colors of glass bottles and jars (such as clear, blue, green, and brown) including food and beverages containers, candle jars, clear drinking vessels
• Metal cans and foil
  • Examples: metal drink and food cans, aluminum pie pans, aluminum foil (aluminum foil in 2-inch ball minimum)
  • Items should be empty and rinsed.
• Paper
  • Examples: newspapers, magazines, office paper, junk mail, paperboard, telephone books, paperback books, waxy cartons and aseptic packaging
• Plastic bottles, jugs, jars, and round tubs
  • Examples: drink bottles, detergent bottles, medicine bottles, yogurt cups, food jars (such as for mayonnaise and peanut butter), round food tubs (such as for sour cream and butter).
  • Items should be empty and rinsed.
  • Leave caps on!

Do not recycle these items:

• Plastic bags or wrap
• Styrofoam
• Clamshell plastic containers
• Bulky plastic items (such as lawn chairs or garbage cans)
• Motor oil and fertilizer bottles
• Gift wrapping paper (with metallic, glitter, or plastic coating)
• Other items not listed on the accepted items list

Not sure if an item can be recycled? 

Do not recycle it, or contact the Recycling Coordinator to learn more at recycling@iowa-city.org. 

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Iowa City Landfill and Recycling Center

3900 Hebl Avenue SW

Open Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Saturday from 7 a.m. to noon

For items with recycling fees, pay at the Landfill's Scalehouse in lane 2. 

Recycle these items:

• Appliances and electronics
  • Large appliances
    • $12.50 per appliance or $1 per cubic foot for large commercial appliances
    • Examples: microwaves, dishwashers, refrigerators, ovens, washing machines, dryers, lawn mowers, grills, exercise equipment, water heaters, freezers, air conditioners, heaters/furnaces, dehumidifiers
  • Electronics and small appliances
    • Computers: $20 each (fee includes components)
    • Televisions: $20 each (fee includes components)
    • Other electronic items: $3 each
      • Examples: printers, central processing units (CPU), VCR devices without a CRT screen/monitor, ink or toner cartridges, cell phones, DVD players, cameras, stereos, toys, radios, electric bike batteries, electric scooters
    • Holiday light strands and electronic cords: no cost
    • Small appliances: $3 each
      • Examples: vacuum cleaners, alarm clocks, toasters, blenders, coffee makers, lamps, irons, ceiling fans, humidifiers
• Asphalt roof shingles: $30/ton
  • In conjunction with LL Pelling, the landfill recycles shingles for use in asphalt paving. Loads of shingles for recycling must be clean. A clean load contains asphalt roof shingles only (nails are allowed). Loads cannot contain wood (including wood shingles), metal flashing & gutters, plastic wrap, buckets, or paper. Any contaminated loads containing these items or trash will be charged the regular trash fee. Ask your roofer or contractor to recycle shingles at the landfill.
• Bicycles
• Books
  • Examples: hardcover and softcover 
  • Books are accepted in the container located in the electronics recycling garage bay.
• Cardboard
  • Examples: corrugated cardboard
  • Flatten and size each piece to a maximum of two by two feet. 
• Glass
  • Examples: All colors of glass bottles and jars (such as clear, blue, green, and brown) including food and beverages containers, candle jars, clear drinking vessels
• Holiday light strands
  • Holiday light strands are accepted in the container located in the electronics recycling garage bay.
• Light bulbs and tubes (CFL and LED only)
  • Residential: no cost
  • Commercial
    • CFL or LED bulbs: 54 cents each
    • Tubes 4-foot and under: 54 cents each
    • Tubes 4-foot and over: 72 cents each
    • Light fixtures with PBCs: $3 each
• Metal cans and foil
  • Examples: metal drink and food cans, aluminum pie pans, aluminum foil (aluminum foil in 2-inch ball minimum)
  • Items should be empty and rinsed.
• Oil
  • Examples: motor oil, vegetable oil, oil filters
    • Bring liquid in sealed, labeled plastic bottles (must be less than 5-gallon size) with secure lids, and leave in the Oil Recycling Shed.
  • Oil recycling services are also available at the East Side Recycling Center.
• Paper
  • Examples: newspapers, magazines, office paper, junk mail, paperboard, telephone books, paperback books, waxy cartons and aseptic packaging
• Plastic bottles, jugs, jars, and round tubs
  • Examples: drink bottles, detergent bottles, medicine bottles, yogurt cups, food jars (such as for mayonnaise and peanut butter), round food tubs (such as for sour cream and butter).
  • Items should be empty and rinsed.
  • Leave caps on!
• Propane or helium tanks
  • $1 per tank (residential-sized tanks only) via appliance recycling
• Scrap metal
  • Examples: iron, steel, aluminum, brass, copper
• Tires: $0.15/pound ($3 minimum)

Do not recycle these items: 

• Plastic bags or wrap
• Styrofoam
• Clamshell plastic containers
• Bulky plastic items (such as lawn chairs or garbage cans)
• Motor oil and fertilizer bottles
• Gift wrapping paper (with metallic, glitter, or plastic coating)
• Other items not listed on the accepted items list

Not sure if an item can be recycled? 

Do not recycle it, or contact the Recycling Coordinator to learn more at recycling@iowa-city.org. 

212 1st Street, Coralville

Visit the City of Coralville website for more information.

Other Drop-off Recycling Locations

• Hazardous material
  • Visit the Hazardous Material web page for a complete list of accepted items. 
• Light bulbs
  • Visit the Hazardous Material web page for a complete list of locations.
• Batteries
  • Visit the Batteries web page for a complete list of locations.
• Glass
  • View the "Glass" tab on this web page for a complete list of recycling locations. 

Several locations in the Iowa City area offer electronics and appliances recycling.

Iowa City Landfill and Recycling Center

3900 Hebl Ave. SW, Iowa City

Open Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Saturday from 7 a.m. to noon

Pay at the Landfill's Scalehouse (lane 2) and you will be directed to the self-service recycling area. Cash, checks, and credit cards are accepted. 

Accepted items and fees:

• Large appliances
  • $12.50 per appliance or $1 per cubic foot for large commercial appliances
    • Examples: microwaves, dishwashers, refrigerators, ovens, washing machines, dryers, lawn mowers, water heaters, freezers, air conditioners, heaters/furnaces, dehumidifiers
  • Grills: $3 each
  • Exercise equipment: $3 each
• Propane or helium tanks: $1 each (residential-sized tanks only)
• Electronics and small appliances
  • Computers: $20 each (fee includes components)
  • Televisions: $20 each (fee includes components)
  • Other electronic items: $3 each
    • Examples: printers, central processing units (CPU), VCR devices without a CRT screen/monitor, ink or toner cartridges, cell phones, DVD players, cameras, stereos, toys, radios, electric bike batteries, electric scooters
  • Holiday light strands and electronic cords: no cost
  • Small appliances: $3 each
    • Examples: vacuum cleaners, alarm clocks, toasters, blenders, coffee makers, lamps, irons, ceiling fans, humidifiers

East Side Recycling Center

2401 Scott Blvd. SE, Iowa City (via Habitat for Humanity ReStore Donations)

Open 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Wednesday to Saturday

Large appliances are not accepted at this location. Recycle these at the Iowa City Landfill and Recycling Center.

For payment, this location accepts cash or checks only. 

Accepted items and fees:

• Electronics and small appliances
  • Computers: $20 each (fee includes components)
  • Televisions: $20 each (fee includes components)
  • Other electronic items: $3 each
    • Examples: printers, central processing units (CPU), VCR devices without a CRT screen/monitor, ink or toner cartridges, cell phones, DVD players, cameras, stereos, toys, radios, electric bike batteries, electric scooters
  • Holiday light strands and electronic cords: no cost
  • Small appliances: $3 each
    • Examples: vacuum cleaners, alarm clocks, toasters, blenders, coffee makers, lamps, irons, ceiling fans, humidifiers

Other Drop-off Locations

Please check with each location on program guidelines, accepted items, and fees. 

• Best Buy (1431 Coral Ridge Ave., Coralville)
• Goodwill Reboot (445 Highway 6 East, Iowa City)
  • Working and non-working computers are accepted and will either be recycled or refurbished and sold in store.
• SmartphonesPLUS (2445 2nd St., Suite 1, Coralville)
  • Cell phones, tablets, computers and other electronics are accepted for recycling.
• Staples (820 S Riverside Dr., Iowa City)

Glass Recycling Locations

• East Side Recycling Center (2401 Scott Blvd. SE, Iowa City) 
• Sturgis Ferry Park Recycling Center (1700 South Riverside Drive)
• Iowa City Landfill and Recycling Center (3900 Hebl Ave. SW, Iowa City) 
• Robert A. Lee Recreation Center parking lot (220 S. Gilbert St., Iowa City) 
• Coralville Drop-off Recycling Center 
• Upper City Park parking lot (200 Park Road, Iowa City) 
  • Enter at Park Road, across from N. Riverside Drive. Purple glass recycling bin is located in NW corner of parking lot 

Watch this short video to learn about glass recycling in Iowa City. 

What glass can you recycle?

Recycle these items: 

• All colors of glass bottles and jars (such as clear, blue, green, and brown); examples include: 
  • Food and beverage bottles/jars
  • Candle jars
  • Clear drinking vessels
  • Cosmetic jars

Do not recycle these items: 

• Cardboard/paper drink carriers
• Plastic bags
• Window/pane glass
• Laminated glass/windshields
• Porcelain, ceramic, China, leaded glass, milk glass
• Pyrex, Corningware, dishware
• Mirrors
• Light bulbs

Glass recycling tips:

• Rinse food and beverage glass before recycling!
• Labels can stay on bottles and jars.
• Lids are fine to stay on bottles and jars, too. If you prefer to remove them, here’s what to do with those caps/lids:
  • Plastic ones are trash.
  • Metal ones can be recycled.
  • Corks:
    • Natural corks can be recycled via the wine cork bin at East Side Recycling Center (located in the Oil Recycling Shed).
    • Plastic/foam corks are trash.

A friendly reminder that programs require maintenance! If you arrive at one of the locations listed above and you don’t see the purple bin, it may be in route to be emptied, but don’t worry, it will be right back.

Why is this important?

This program expansion is in response to the community identifying a need for easier, more accessible glass recycling options. Glass is not allowed in curbside recycling, as it lessens the quality of glass when added to a single stream recycling mix, making the glass difficult to recycle. By keeping glass separate, we ensure that we have a clean, high-quality product that is easy to recycle. Glass is 100% recyclable forever, which is why we don’t want this valuable material ending up in a landfill.

Softcover Books Only

 Softcover books can be recycled via curbside recycling or at the following locations via the paper recycling containers: 

• Sturgis Ferry Park Recycling Center, 1700 South Riverside Drive
  • Visit the Recycling web page for a complete list of accepted items at this location. 
• East Side Recycling Center, 2401 Scott Blvd. SE
  • Visit the East Side Recycling Center web page for a complete list of accepted items at this location. 

Hardcover and Softcover Books, DVDs, and Audiobooks

Hardcover books, softcover books, DVDs, and audiobooks on CD can be recycled at the Iowa City Landfill and Recycling Center, 3900 Hebl Ave. SW. Collection bins are located in the electronics recycling garage bay. 

Recycle these items at no cost:

• Fiction and non-fiction paperback or hardcover books
• Cookbooks
• Religious books
• Rare or antique books
• Textbooks
• Travel books
• Computer books
• Audiobooks on CD
• DVDs
• Encyclopedias
• Dictionaries
• Journals
• Damaged or ripped books

Do not recycle these items: 

• Wet or moldy books (garbage)
• VHS or cassette tapes (garbage)
• CDs (garbage)

Materials in good condition will be reused with proceeds directly benefitting the Iowa City Public Library. Materials that are damaged or past use will be properly recycled. 

Cardboard is not allowed to be thrown in the trash and must be recycled. This landfill ban on cardboard is meant to keep a usable, valuable material out of the landfill which saves natural resources and landfill space.

In addition, when cardboard or any other organic materials are landfilled, it produces a very powerful greenhouse gas known as methane. Recycling cardboard reduces our local greenhouse gas emissions!

Ways to recycle cardboard in the area:

• Drop-off Recycling Locations
• Residential Curbside Recycling

• Apartment Recycling 

More information on these three recycling options are available in their dedicated tabs on this page.

There are many types of plastic with a variety of different chemistries. The numbers stamped on plastic items are known as resin identification codes. While these codes identify the type of plastic, they were not designed for consumer use and they do not indicate if an item is recyclable.

City of Iowa City recycling programs do not utilize the numbers on plastics to identify which items are accepted for recycling due to several confusing exceptions. For example, a hard plastic yogurt cup stamped with #6 is recyclable. Styrofoam is also stamped with #6 but is not recyclable.

It is important to note that plastic can only be recycled a few times before it is unable to be recycled anymore. As a comparison, glass can be recycled over and over again without loss in quality or purity. Because of this, the City of Iowa City will continue to actively work to develop programs that support the increased use of alternative, non-plastic materials such as glass, metal, paper, and compostable materials.

A few alternative examples that reduce plastic use and waste include: 

• Laundry detergent sheets or powder
• Dish detergent powder
• Soap, shampoo, and conditioner bars
• Toothpaste tablets
• Bamboo, glass, or metal drinking straws (reusable)
• Beeswax food wrap (reusable)
• Bamboo or metal cutlery sets (reusable)
• Wool dryer balls (reusable)

What plastic items can you recycle via City programs?

Because plastic items have complicated, varying chemistries, it is important to only place accepted, recyclable plastic items in your residential curbside recycling cart or at drop-off recycling locations to reduce recycling contamination.

Recycle these plastic items: 

• Bottles
  • Examples: water, juice, shampoo or medicine bottles
• Jugs
  • Examples: laundry detergent or milk jugs
• Jars
  • Examples: mayo or peanut butter jars
• Round tubs
  • Examples: yogurt, butter, sour cream, or cottage cheese tubs

Leave caps on bottles and jugs, remove any pump nozzles, and rinse items clean before recycling.

If you have an item that is not within the above categories, do not place it in recycling.

Placing items that cannot be recycled into a recycling bin contaminates recycling loads making the program more expensive. Sometimes this can even result in recycling loads getting landfilled due to high amounts of contamination. Plastic bags/wrap, Styrofoam, clamshell containers, motor oil/fertilizer bottles, and large/bulky items (such as buckets or trash cans) are not accepted in recycling. When in doubt, throw it out.

Do not recycle these plastic items: 

• Bags, film, or wrappers
  • Note: Certain types of plastic bags are accepted for recycling at local participating stores. 
• Styrofoam
• Clamshell containers
• Fertilizer, motor oil, or hazardous material bottles
• Large, bulky items
  • Examples: laundry baskets or lawn chairs
• Plastic-coated gift wrapping paper 
• Sauce cups, coffee cup lids, drinking straws, and silverware
• Pump nozzles
  • Examples: pump nozzles from lotion or shampoo bottles
• Syringes and sharps
• VHS tapes, CDs, and cassette tapes
• Yard signs
• Cigarettes
• Other plastic pieces that do not fit into any of the categories of the accepted items list above 

Light bulb recycling is available to residents and businesses within Johnson County, Kalona, and Riverside. 

Incandescent Light Bulbs

Incandescent light bulbs can be thrown away in the regular garbage.

Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) and LED Bulbs

Residents:

Properly dispose of CFL and LED bulbs at the following locations: 

Locations accept bulbs at no cost. Tube recycling is not available at all locations, or there may be a charge. Contact partner locations for more information on items accepted and open hours.

• Iowa City Landfill and Recycling Center (3900 Hebl Ave. SW, Iowa City)      
  • No cost CFL and LED tube and bulb recycling are available during regular business hours.
  • Light fixtures without PCBs (Polychlorinated Biphenyls) are $3 each to recycle.
  • Light fixtures with PCBs (Polychlorinated Biphenyls) are $12.50 each to recycle.
• ReStore (2401 Scott Blvd. SE, Iowa City)
• Ace Hardware (1558 Mall Dr., Iowa City)
• Ace Hardware (600 N. Dodge St., Iowa City)
• Tiffin City Hall (300 Railroad St.)
• Riverside City Hall (61 Greene St.)
• Lone Tree City Hall (123 Devoe St.)
• North Liberty City Hall (360 N Main St.)
• Lowe's Home Improvement (2701 2nd St., Coralville)
  • Call 319-545-8300 for more information, as this program is not managed by the City of Iowa City.

Businesses:  

Businesses can properly dispose of CFLs and LEDs for a fee at the Iowa City Landfill and Recycling Center.

Commercial light bulb recycling fees:

• CFL or LED bulbs: 54 cents/bulb
• Tubes 4-foot and under: 54 cents/bulb
• Tubes 4-foot and over: 72 cents/bulb
• Light fixtures without PCBs (Polychlorinated Biphenyls) are $3 each to recycle.
• Light fixtures with PCBs (Polychlorinated Biphenyls) are $12.50 each to recycle.

CFLs contain a small amount of mercury and LEDs contain a small amount of lead. Special handling is required to safely remove the mercury and lead.

• How to Clean Up a Broken CFL Bulb

Clean loads of asphalt roof shingles can be recycled at the Iowa City Landfill and Recycling Center for $30/ton.

What is a clean load?

A clean load contains asphalt roof shingles only (nails are allowed). Loads cannot contain wood (including wood shingles), metal flashing and gutters, plastic wrap, buckets, or paper. Any contaminated loads containing these items or trash will be charged the regular trash fee.

How are shingles recycled?

Roof shingles are recycled by LL Pelling, in conjunction with the Iowa City Landfill and Recycling Center, for use in asphalt paving. The Iowa City Landfill and Recycling Center accepts clean, separated loads of composite asphalt roof shingles. LL Pelling then cleans the old shingles and transports them to their facilities where they are processed into dry, granular asphalt pieces known as “RAS” (recycled asphalt shingles). RAS is used at all three LL Pelling asphalt plants to make hot mix asphalt used to build roads in Eastern Iowa.

Ask your roofer or contractor to recycle shingles at the landfill. Recycling roof shingles saves money compared to landfill fees (about $20 per ton reduction in cost). Participating in the program also supports recycling usable materials which saves oil resources and landfill space. 

Bring motor or vegetable oil in sealed, labeled plastic bottles (must be less than 5-gallon size) with secure lids, and leave in the Oil Recycling Sheds at either location: 

• East Side Recycling Center (2401 Scott Blvd. SE, Iowa City), available 24/7
• Iowa City Landfill and Recycling Center (3900 Hebl Avenue SW, Iowa City), available during open hours only from Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Saturday from 7 a.m. to noon

Motor oil filters can also be recycled at both locations.

This service is available at no cost to residents in Johnson County, and within the city limits of Kalona and Riverside. Materials from outside of this service area are not accepted. 

Visit the Batteries web page for information on battery drop-off locations.

Visit the Hazardous Material web page for information about safe disposal for hazardous items and the Hazardous Material Collection Facility located at the Iowa City Landfill.

Apartment and Condo Recycling

If you live in an apartment or condo in Iowa City and are unsure how to use your recycling program, follow the steps below.

1. Check the label on the recycling container/dumpster or contact your property management company or home/condo owners association to identify which company hauls your recycling materials.
2. Find the company below that hauls your recycling materials. These resources should explain what can and cannot be recycled in your recycling container.
   • ABC Disposal Systems, Inc.
   • LRS (formerly Johnson County Refuse)
   • Republic Services (formerly Allied Waste Service)
   • Waste Management

Live in an apartment building or condo with no recycling or need to report an issue?

Report this as "Housing: Recycling Issues" on the ICgovXpress page and provide your address and recycling status.

Business Recycling

The private hauling companies listed above under the "Apartment and Condo Recycling" section are options for businesses wanting to recycle on site.