Recycling News

Recycle Milk and Juice Cartons

Also called “gable-top cartons,”these are the non-plastic milk and juice cartons you see in the refrigerated section of the supermarket.

Known in the industry as “poly-coated paperboard containers,” the cartons are made of about 80% high-quality paper fiber, a renewable resource, and 20% polyethylene, a type of plastic that keeps the paper from getting wet.

America consumes enormous quantities of milk and juice, requiring tremendous outlays of energy to produce, ship and landfill the cartons. Only a fraction of these are recycled.

Waste Management, Tropicana Products, Dean Foods and select carton manufacturers have launched a program in which residents can recycle these containers in regular recycling bins at no additional charge. This program began in Florida and has been expanded to communities across the country.

Please place clean and dry milk and juice cartons in your recycling container.

Yard Waste Disposal

Special Disposal
Yard Waste Collection is on the same day as your recycling collection.

Yard waste must be prepared for collection by:

• Placing in personal containers no larger than 45 gallons, weighing no more than 50 pounds when filled.
• Placing in paper bags/sacks.
• Tying in bundles no longer than four feet in length.
• No branches thicker than four inches in diameter will be accepted.
• No more than ten (10) bundles or containers will be collected.
• No Plastic Bags.

Containers must be purchased by home owners, they are not provided.

Reuse or Recycle Plastic Bags

Plastic shopping bags can easily have a second life and save you money when you REUSE them. Use them for collecting pet waste or as garbage bags for small trash cans in your restroom or office.

Plastic bags are also recyclable through single-source vendors – meaning they are the only item collected. To ensure that your plastic bags are recycled, collect excess bags and return them to your nearest participating retailer (full list available on PlasticFilmRecycling.org).

Remember to keep all of your recyclables clean and dry.

Special Disposal for Hazardous Waste

Household hazardous waste includes batteries, tires, paint, used oil and oil filters, and other contaminants that could leak dangerous chemicals in our environment. Fortunately in Collier County, we have a better solution! To ensure your household hazardous waste is disposed of in a safe manner, please collect your items and turn them in at one of Collier County’s recycling drop-off centers.

See a map of locations:

Dispose of Food Waste

Food waste can be composted, then reused in your garden. It is a great source of nutrients to help your flowers bloom and your vegetables grow bigger and heathier.

When you throw your food waste into your waste cart, it will end up in the Collier County Landfill – but this waste does NOT go to waste!

Waste Management invested $8.5 million in building a landfill gas-to-energy facility in partnership with Collier County Government. As your food waste decomposes, it produces methane gas that is used to create electricity – enough to power 2,400 homes in Collier County.

Dispose of Garden Hoses

Garden hoses have both metal and plastic components. We call these “mixed recyclables.”

Mixed recyclables might also include lamps that are part wood and part metal or umbrellas that are part metal and part plastic.

While portions of these mixed recyclables might be recyclable, we aren’t currently able to recycle the whole piece.

Do not put tanglers in your cart (garden hoses, electrical extension cords, etc.). 

Recycle Plastic Bottles

Recycling one ton of plastic:
• Saves 5,774 kWh energy
• Saves 16.3 barrels (685 gallons) of oil
• Saves 98 million Btu’s of energy
• Saves 30 cubic yards of landfill space

You can recycle plastic bottles, jugs, jars, and tubs with the numbers 1-5 + 7. They typically have narrow necks and tubs.

You can leave the caps on your bottles, but you must empty out the contents and keep all of your recyclables clean and dry.

Recycle Cardboard and Paper

Recycling one ton of cardboard:
• Saves 390 kWh of energy
• Saves 1.1 barrels (46 gallons) of oil
• Saves 6.6 million Btu’s of energy

Cardboard Recycling Tips
• Prepare cardboard for recycling by removing all other materials in the box such as plastic wrap, polystyrene peanuts and other packing materials. Polystyrene peanuts may be dropped off at one of Collier County’s recycling centers.
• Break down cardboard boxes to save storage space.
• Keep cardboard dry and free from food waste. Greasy pizza boxes should be thrown away, not recycled.

Remember to keep all of your recyclables clean and dry.

Recycle Glass Bottles

Recycling one ton of glass:
• Saves 42 kWh of energy
• Saves 0.12 barrels (5 gallons) of oil
• Saves 714,286 Btu’s of energy
• Saves 2 cubic yards of landfill space
• Saves 7.5 pounds of air pollutants from being released

Glass Recycling Tips
• Clear, green, brown colored glass are acceptable.
• Leave the lids and caps off of your glass bottles when you recycle.
• Prepare glass containers for recycling by rinsing out with water.
• Labels on glass containers do not have to be removed because they are removed during the crushing process and/or burned off during the melting process.

Recycle Dry Cleaning Bags

Newspaper Bags

Recycle Vegetable Bags

Case Wrap

Special Disposal of Medical Sharps

For everyone’s safety, please place your medical sharps in a properly sealed collection container and turn in at one of Collier County’s recycling drop-off centers.

See a map of locations:

Recycle Aluminum, Steel, and Tin

Recycling Tips
• Make sure aerosol cans are empty and dry and the plastic lid is removed
• Prepare aluminum cans for recycling by either crushing the cans to save space or leaving them uncrushed.
• Cans that are rinsed out will have little or no odor and are less likely to attract bugs.

Remember to keep all of your recyclables clean and dry.

Reuse Clothing

Donating your used clothing will help provide clothing and assistance to those in need, as well as providing you with a tax deduction when you collect a receipt.

Reuse Hangers

Wooden and plastic hangers should be disposed of in your waste cart.