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  • Local Recycling Guide

    This local recycling guide, published Sept. 5, 2019, reflects current best practices for recycling featured items locally.

    The Ivy Convenience Center is located at the Ivy Material Utilization Center, 4576 Dick Woods Road. Call (434) 295-3306 for additional information.

    The McIntire Reycling Center is located at 611 McIntire Road. Call (434) 977-2976 for additional information.

    Local curbside providers include County Waste, (434) 296-6000, (contamination/rejection rate about 18%-20%) and Time Disposal, (434) 977-3339. If not listed, check with your curbside collection service directly to confirm if specific items are collected, and to ask about contamination/rejection rates.

  • easy

    Cardboard box

    Accepted at the McIntire Recycling Center, the Ivy Convenience Center or curbside with County Waste and Time Disposal.

  • hard

    Pizza box

    Mostly non-recyclable because of food contamination. Dedicated recyclers can remove contaminated panels (for instance, if only the bottom has grease) and recycle the rest with other cardboard.

  • easy

    Cereal/snack cardboard box

    Accepted at the McIntire Recycling Center, the Ivy Convenience Center or curbside with County Waste and Time Disposal.

  • hard

    Coffee cup – all three parts!

    Recycle the sleeve with other brown paper and the lid with the number of the plastic. (Check the lid; there is no standard number.) Cups are trash.

  • hard

    Paper milk carton

    They're almost always lined with plastic and, therefore, trash. (Many were once wax-lined and could be recycled with paper, but that is rarely the case now).

  • moderate

    Plastic film or bags

    Plastic grocery bags and single-material plastic wrap from packaged grocery items are collected at the McIntire Recycling Center and at many local grocery stores. Foil-like bags, biodegradable bags and wraps that include multiple materials (such as plastic chip bags lined with foil) are not recyclable.

  • easy

    Plastic Nos. 1 or 2

    Accepted at the McIntire Recycling Center, the Ivy Convenience Center or curbside with County Waste and Time Disposal.

  • moderate

    Plastic No. 3 or above

    Not accepted at the McIntire Recycling Center or the Ivy Convenience Center. County Waste and Time Disposal continue to accept No. 3 and above in curbside collection. For other curbside services, check with your provider.

  • moderate

    Plastic clamshell

    Recycle with the number of the plastic. This can be problematic, as there is no standard placement for the numbers on these items and they can be small and hard to find.

  • moderate

    Plastic containers with lids

    Recycle with the number of the plastic. This can be problematic, as there is no standard placement for the numbers on these items and they can be small and hard to find.

  • moderate

    Bottle cap

    Recycle with the number of plastic. However, small caps can gum up recycling machinery may not be efficient to recycle as they could cause waste. Larger caps more than 3 inches in size are fine.

  • easy

    Glass - clear

    Accepted at the McIntire Recycling Center, the Ivy Convenience Center or curbside with County Waste and Time Disposal.

  • easy

    Glass - brown or green

    Accepted at the McIntire Recycling Center, the Ivy Convenience Center or curbside with County Waste and Time Disposal.

  • easy

    Aluminum can

    Accepted at the McIntire Recycling Center, the Ivy Convenience Center or curbside with County Waste and Time Disposal.

  • easy

    Steel can

    Accepted at the McIntire Recycling Center, the Ivy Convenience Center or curbside with County Waste and Time Disposal.

  • easy

    Food scraps

    Accepted at the McIntire Recycling Center or the Charlottesville City Market. Or hire a private company to pick up your compost or create a compost space at home.

  • hard

    Envelopes with bubble padding

    Trash. These contained mixed materials that cannot be effectively separated for recycling.

  • easy

    Mixed paper/junk mail

    Collected at McIntire Recycling Center or curbside with County Waste and Time Disposal. No need to remove the small plastic windows in envelopes.

Charlottesville Tomorrow