​How Do I Recycle These Items?​

Aluminum Cans*                                      
Fluorescent Lamps/Ballasts            
Propane Tanks
Batteries (Automotive) Food Waste Scrap Metal
Batteries (Non-automotive) Glass Steel Cans*
Cell Phones Horse Manure Telephone Directories*
Christmas Trees Magazines & Catalogs* Tires
Compact Discs Mixed Paper* Toner Cartridges
Construction & Demolition Debris Newspaper* Used Oil
Cooking Oil and Grease Office Paper* White Goods
Cardboard** Plastic Bottles & Jugs* Wood Waste
Electronics/Computers Plastic Bags & Films Yard Waste

*Indicates items that can be included in your curbside recycling cart.

ARL = Anchorage Regional Landfill

CTS = Central Transfer St​ation

The WestRock Anchorage Recycling Center (not operated by SWS) is located at 6161 Rosewood Ave. Take the Seward Highway to Dowling. Go west on Dowling to Rosewood. Go south on Rosewood to the WestRock Anchorage Recycling Center, behind NAPA store. Open 24/7 for materials drop-off.

The Anchorage Regional Landfill is located at 15500 Eagle River Loop, off Hiland Road exit of the Glenn Highway, in Eagle River. The recycling drop-off area is open during faclity hours.

The Central Transfer Station is located at 1208 E. 56th Ave. Some map apps are incorrect and send people to a residential neighborhood. Please proceed from International Airport Road East, Right on Homer Drive, Right on 56th Ave. Immediate Left turn. From Old Seward highway turn on to E. 56th Ave heading East Right Turn on the last Right turn. The preferred residential route is international airport Road to Homer Drive to 56th. 

Also reference How do I dispose of these items? if you don’t find the item you have in the recycling section.

Aluminum Cans*

Aluminum cans may be dropped off at numerous recycling locations throughout Anchorage. Carrs stores and several schools have bins that are accessible 24/7. Cans may be dropped off at the Anchorage Recycling Center 24/7 and Anchorage Regional Landfill during landfill hours.

Batteries (Automotive)

Solid Waste Services accepts automobile lead-acid batteries for disposal at the Central Transfer Station, Anchorage Regional Landfill, and Girdwood Transfer Station. Residential users are allowed to bring one battery per visit free of charge and a second battery at a $5.00 charge. The limit is two batteries per customer. Commercial users must use the Hazardous Waste Center at the Anchorage Regional Landfill location. The charge is $5.00 per battery. All batteries are dissassembled and individual components are recycled or reused.

Batteries (Non-automotive)

Many locations in the Municipality accept other types of batteries for free. Check under “Batteries” in the yellow pages. All batteries need to be properly prepared by either bagging them each separately or taping the terminals to eliminate potental fire hazards.

Cell Phones

Check with your carrier for take-back or buy-back programs. Be sure to look for reuse options before recycling if your phone still works. Often shelters will accept phones to use them for 911 calls.

Christmas Trees

Christmas Trees are accepted seasonally from December 28 until January 15 at Carrs stores in Anchorage, Eagle River and Palmer. Details are posted each year by ALPAR (Alaskans for Litter Prevention and Recycling).

Compact Discs
Are not recycled in Anchorage.

Contruction & Demolition Debris (C&D)

Search the internet for C&D debris recycling, including concrete, asphalt, gypsum, metal, some wood waste, and land clearing debris.


Cooking Oil and Grease

Cooking oils and grease should not be disposed of down the drain. It can be brought to the Hazardous Waste facilities for recycling. Small quantities can be secured in a container and disposed of in the regular trash. Commercial cooking oil and grease can be recycled into biodiesel through Alaska Waste. Call 563-3717 to get more information about scheduling pick-up of uncontaminated commercial cooking oil and grease.

Cardboard*

Corrugated cardboard can be dropped off at the recycling area at the Anchorage Regional Landfill during normal business hours. You can also drop off cardboard at the WestRock Anchorage Recycling Center 24/7. Please be sure to flatten all cardboard so that bins do not fill up as quickly. Cardboard is also an integral carbon source for composting and vermicomposting. Cardboard makes an excellent weed barrier in gardens, please remove any tape or plastic before putting into the ground. 

Electronics/Computers

All residential customers may dispose of one television per day free of charge when it is brought to our facilities and included with a residential trash load. Residential customers wanting to dispose of more than one television in a day will be directed to the hazardous waste area of our facilities. Additional fees apply.

Both computers and their monitors (CRTs) and older tube-style televisions may contain items that are hazardous. Of note, CRTs contain lead and as such are considered hazardous waste.

Televisions, computers, and/or computer monitors will not be accepted for disposal via curbside collection.

Under current regulations, if the materials are recycled properly, they are not considered hazardous waste. Please reference your local phone book or internet for local recycling options.

For additional information please contact SWS at 343-6250 or the hazardous waste collection facility at 428-1742.

Household Hazardous Waste Hours of Operation:

Anchorage Regional Landfill: Tuesday-Saturday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Central Transfer Station: Monday-Friday  8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Fluorescent Lamps/Ballasts

Some retailers offer take-back programs. Please reference your local phone book or the internet for local CFL recycling.

Food Waste

Drop-off available at the Central Transfer Station and Anchorage Regional Landfill seasonally. Details on dates and ​acceptable materials located here. You can also use a privately operated website sharewaste.com to meet local neighbors who may be composting or have chickens year round who would welcome your food scraps. For information on workplace composting options, email recycle@muni.org​ 

Glass

Glass bottles and jars are accepted 24/7 at the WestRock Anchorage Recycling Center and during business hours at the Anchorage Regional Landfill.

Horse Manure

For assistance with on-site composting, contact Anchor Gardens, Yarducopia,​ the Anchorage Cooperative Extension Service​, or ​​ Anchorage Soil and Water Conservation District.

Magazines & Catalogs*

Magazines and catalogs can be included with Mixed Paper and can be dropped off at the WestRock Anchorage Recycling Center 24/7, the Anchorage Regional Landfill and Central Transfer Station recycling area during business hours.

Mixed Paper*

Mixed paper (includes paper grocery bags) ​can be dropped off at the WestRock Anchorage Recycling Center 24/7, the Anchorage Regional Landfill recycling area, and Central Transfer Station during business hours.

Newspaper*

Newspaper can be dropped off at the WestRock Anchorage Recycling Center 24/7 and the Anchorage Regional Landfill recycling area and Central Transfer Station during business hours. It also can be dropped off at numerous Carrs and school locations around Anchorage. MAP of drop-off sites

Office Paper*

Office paper can be included in Mixed Paper and can be dropped off at the WestRock Anchorage Recycling Center 24/7, the Anchorage Regional Landfill recycling area and the Central Transfer Station during business hours.

Plastic Bottles & Jugs*

Plastic bottles include only #1 PET bottles, such as soda and water bottles, and their caps. Plastic jugs include only #2 HDPE jugs, such as milk and detergent jugs, and their caps. All other numbers and all other types of containers are not recyclable. The #1 and #2 containers can be recycled at the Anchorage Recycling Center 24/7 as well as the Anchorage Regional Landfill recycling area during regular business hours. Check for the neck! – recyclable bottles and jugs are containers with a screwtop and neck. Put the cap back on the bottle or jug before recycling if possible, rather than tossing the cap in separately. 

Plastic Bags & Films

Several grocery chains offer recycling for plastic grocery bags. 

Propane Tanks

Tanks that can’t be refilled can be taken to Suburban Propan​e, Alaska Scrap & Recycling, or Central Recycling Services for recycling. Fees apply. 

Scrap Metal

Appliances such as washers, dryers, fridges, freezers, and stoves may be brought to CTS and ARL for recycling. No other scrap metals will be accepted and/or segregated as recycling by SWS, but may be accepted as refuse and disposed accordingly. *Refrigerators and freezers are accepted at CTS and ARL for an additional $20.00 charge, per each unit, which covers the removal of the CFCs (Freon).

For other scrap metal disposal or recycling options, please search the internet, or try these options: Alaska Scrap & Recycling, or Central Recycling Services 

Steel Cans*

Steel cans may be dropped off at the WestRock Anchorage Recycling Center 24/7, CTS, ARL or curbside recycling carts.

Telephone Directories*

Telephone directories can be included with Mixed Paper at the WestRock Anchorage Recycling Center,CTS, ARL or curbside recycling. During certain times of year, telephone directory collection bins also are found at grocery stores.

Tires

Scrap tires currently are being accepted at the landfill (ARL), where they are shredded and used for landfill projects. They are considered waste items so a drop-off fee will be charged.

Toner Cartridges

Toner cartridges from printers and copiers can be recycled through several businesses in Anchorage. Search the internet for “Cartridge Recycling”.

Used Oil

Residential users may dispose of up to ten gallons of used motor oil at the Central Transfer Station, Anchorage Regional Landfill or Girdwood Transfer Station. The first five gallons are free. There is a $1.00 charge per gallon for amounts over five gallons with a maximum of ten gallons in total. For amounts exceeding ten gallons, see commercial rates below (amounts over ten gallons will not be accepted at the Central Transfer Station). Commercial customers must use the Anchorage Regional Landfill site and pay $1.00 per gallon for all oil disposed. Used oil is accepted during normal business hours at each location. The used oil is picked up by a local recycler for reuse when the tanks become full.

White Metal Goods

Appliances such as washers, dryers, fridges, freezers, and stoves may be brought to CTS and ARL for recycling. No other scrap metals will be accepted and/or segregated as recycling by SWS, but may be accepted as refuse and disposed accordingly. *Refrigerators and freezers are accepted at CTS and ARL for an additional $20.00 charge, per each unit, which covers the removal of the CFCs (Freon). THEY MUST BE EMPTIED AND DOORS REMOVED.

For other scrap metal disposal or recycling options, please search the internet, or try these options: Alaska Scrap & Recycling, or Central Recycling Services 

Wood Waste

Wood waste can be delivered to one of Anchorage’s wood lots, open during summer months. Visit the Wood Lots for more details. No construction or demolition waste is accepted. For construction and demolition wood waste, see "Construction & Demolition Debris" above. When the wood lots are closed, the ARL will accept materials and charges will be the same as garbage disposal. 

Yard Waste

Please search the internet for Yard Waste recycling and/or composting, or contact Anchor GardensYarducopia,​ the Anchorage Cooperative Extension Service​, or the ​ Anchorage Soil and Water Conservation District.​

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