Residential Recycling Services

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The Richland Solid Waste Utility manages residential recycling collection. Learn more about recycling services below, including curbside pickup and drop box recycling.

Collection

Collection crews pick up recycling every other week, Monday through Friday, year-round, except Christmas. If your scheduled collection day falls on Christmas, crews will pick up your recycling on the following day. All remaining collections that week will be one day later than normal.

Cans should be placed out for collection by 6:00 a.m. on your collection day. Containers must be placed at least three feet from cars, trees, mailboxes or fences. Please place the cart wheels as close to the curb as possible and ensure the lid is closed.

Use our interactive map to find your collection day or refer to the 2025 Curbside Collection Calendar.

If you need an additional or secondary pickup or would like to order an additional container for $2 per month, please submit a service request or call 509-942-7700.

Submit a Service Request

Service may be disrupted during winter weather events. Learn more about how our operations change during inclement weather.

What Can I Recycle in Curbside Containers?

Do Recycle

Paper/Cardboard - Newspaper, catalogs, phonebooks, printer paper, junk mail, greeting cards, flattened pressboard boxes, cores from paper towels and wrapping paper
Metal- Tin and aluminum cans
Plastic- Containers with a neck smaller than the base and the number 1 or 2 stamped on the bottom. This includes beverage bottles and salad dressing, detergent bottles, etc.

Don't Recycle

Food waste
Unsanitary items or containers
Batteries
Plastic bags
Hazardous waste
Light bulbs
Aerosol cans
Glass*

*Glass is not accepted in the curbside recycling program. Repeatedly using the recycling container for disposal of glass or other prohibited items will result in a load contamination fee of $10.

Recycling Centers

Use drop boxes to dispose of:

Cardboard
Newspaper
Tin
Aluminum
Plastic beverage containers
Scrap paper (phone books, pressboard boxes and junk mail)

Drop boxes do not accept garbage or hazardous waste.

Find a Recycling Drop Box

Recycling FAQs
- What's the difference between a drop box and a dumpster?
  A Drop Box, also known as a dumpster, is a 20 or 30 yard Roll-Off Container delivered at a residence or business for garbage. 
  
  Recycle Centers have 30 yard containers ready to receive residential recycling. These containers have designated openings to receive cardboard, plastics, cans and other recyclables. These containers are hauled by DTG to their recycling site on Stevens Drive. The City has a map to show where these FREE Recycling Centers are located. 
  
  Commercial Cardboard Only in sizes of 4 or 6 yards. Collection days are once or twice a week on Tuesday or Thursday
  
  Commercial Co-mingle Recycling is available in 96 or 300 gallon and is only collected every other week
- Can I put paper in a cardboard-only container?
  No. Only cardboard may be put in a cardboard-only container. If you have office paper or other types of paper for recycling, then you need to change to co-mingled service. The cardboard-only service costs less because single stream recycling requires no separation before processing. It is important to keep these containers free of other recyclables and garbage.
- Why can't I put glass in my recycling curbside container?
  Glass breaks as it is dumped into the truck and when the load is compacted. The broken glass lowers the value of the other recyclable materials and increases processing costs. To keep costs low and the quality of materials high, the City does not accept glass in the curbside program.