Recycling

Find Your Pickup Day

Some pickup days are changing in November. Check your address to confirm your trash and recycling days.

Hint: For directional streets, use S for South and N for North

Recycling Containers

The City of New Orleans offers once weekly curbside recycling to properties that are eligible for the collection of solid waste by the City. 

Residents who are eligible for City sanitation services will receive one free recycling container. Recycling containers should be delivered within four weeks of request.

In the areas outside the French Quarter and Downtown Development District, the City provides one free 64-gallon blue Recycling Roll Cart per eligible unit. In the French Quarter and Downtown Development District, the City provides one free 18-gallon blue Recycling Bin per eligible unit. 

You may write your house number on the container with a grease pen or spray paint for easy identification.

If you received a recycling cart sticker in the mail, please attach it to the clean and dry lid of your black recycling cart. This sticker will help our crews see which carts are for recycling versus trash, making it faster and safer for them to collect your items.

If your street is closed for construction, please bring your cart to the closest accessible corner for collection. Mark your house number on the container with a grease pen or spray paint for easy identification.

If you do not have a cart, call 311 (504 539-3266) or visit nola311.org to register for the curbside recycling program.

Stolen Containers

Replacement 64-gallon Recycling Roll Carts can be obtained from the City for a fee. Contact 311 for information on replacement Residential Recycling Roll Carts.

Replacement 18-gallon Recycling Bins can be purchased from local stores.  All bins should be 18-gallon, blue, and have the recycling logo imprinted.

Missed Collections

Residents should report missed collections by contacting 311. 311 agents will log the missed collection and send a ticket to the collection company to address.

Please leave your recycling cart/bin on the curb so that the missed collection can be addressed the following day.

What to Recycle

Rinse all food container items before placing in recycling roll carts or bins. Curbside-sorting is not required.

Do not place your recyclables in plastic bags for curbside collection. RECYCLING IN PLASTIC BAGS CANNOT BE RECYCLED.

Plastics

Do

  • Plastics # 1-2: bottles jars, jugs, soda/water bottles, and milk/juice/shampoo/detergent containers

Do Not

  • NO Plastics #3 - #7: Even though some of these items may have a recycling logo, they are not accepted.
  • NO plastic bags (drop off at large retail or grocery stores for recycling)
  • NO bagged recyclables
  • NO condiment cups or packets
  • NO take-out food containers
  • NO cartons or wax-board containers: juice boxes/milk containers.
  • NO styrofoam packaging or to-go containers:
  • NO bubble wrap
  • NO plastic film or plastic wrap
  • NO 6-pack rings
  • NO chemical containers
  • NO packing materials

Cardboard

Do

Flatten corrugated boxes and place in bin or on ground next to bin. 

  • Corrugated and paperboard boxes
  • 6, 12, and 24-pack drink cartons
  • Paper egg cartons
  • Shoe boxes

Do Not

  • NO pizza boxes
  • NO plastic or foam packing material
  • NO cartons or wax-board (juice boxes/milk cartons)

Paper

Do

  • Cereal and cracker boxes (remove liners)
  • Junk mail
  • Coupons
  • White and color paper
  • Envelopes
  • Paper grocery bags
  • Paper shopping bags
  • Catalogs
  • Magazines
  • Newspapers and inserts (remove rubber bands and plastic bags and do not tie up newspapers)
  • Paperback books
  • Telephone books

Do Not

  • NO wax frozen food boxes
  • NO take-out food containers
  • NO pizza boxes
  • NO soiled paper
  • NO shredded paper
  • NO photos
  • NO hard cover books
  • NO carbon paper
  • NO newspaper delivery bags
  • NO rubber bands

Metal

Do

Empty and rinse all metal containers before recycling.

  • Aluminum and steel food cans

Do Not

  • NO aerosol cans
  • NO wire hangers
  • NO non-food metal containers
  • NO ferrous metal containers
  • NO aluminum foil

Drop off

There is no curbside pick-up recycling of the following items. Residents can drop off these items at the Elysian Fields recycling drop-off on Saturdays from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m  for recycling.

View the Household Items Recycling Drop-Off Calendar, which includes Household Hazardous Waste Day and Shred Days.

  • Glass bottles and jars (up to 50 lbs.)
  • Electronics, batteries and light bulbs
  • Hazardous Waste: paint, chemicals, oil and oil filters
  • Mardi Gras Beads
  • Shredded paper

On certain dates, citizens can shred personal and/or sensitive paper goods up to 50 pounds per person This is a free community service offered in partnership with Iron Mountain. 

Other Items NOT to Recycle

  • NO food or compost
  • NO soiled papers (diapers, tissues, paper towels, paper plates, napkins)
  • NO household garbage
  • NO household waste
  • NO yard trimmings
  • NO woody waste
  • NO building materials
  • NO Household waste
  • NO Soiled papers (diapers, tissues, paper towels, paper plates, napkins, pizza boxes)
  • NO clothes hangers (metal or plastic)
  • NO aerosol cans
  • NO non-food metal containers
  • NO chemical containers
Service provided by
1300 Perdido Street 1W30 New Orleans, LA 70112

Monday–Friday
8:00am–5:00pm

Field Operations 
Monday–Saturday
6:00am–2:00pm

To report illegal dumping or collection issues call 311

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