Can you recycle plastic bags in Anchorage, AK?

Not in your green recycling cart. Bags and film wrap around the sorting equipment at the facility Municipality of Anchorage uses, which is why they're excluded almost everywhere. Take clean, dry bags back to a grocery-store drop-off, or put them in your black trash cart.

What do I do with batteries in Anchorage, AK?

Batteries never go in any of your Anchorage, AK carts — not the green recycling cart, not the black trash cart. They're household hazardous waste and a genuine fire risk in the truck. Tape the terminals and take them to a local e-waste or household-hazardous-waste drop-off.

Recycling rules in Anchorage, AK

📍 Municipality of Anchorage · 2-cart program

Who collects your recycling in Anchorage, AK

Residential curbside collection in Anchorage, AK is provided by Municipality of Anchorage under an exclusive franchise, so every household on the route gets the same carts and the same accepted-items list. Households get two carts — a green recycling cart for recyclables and a black trash cart for everything else. There is no curbside compost cart, so food scraps and food-soiled paper go in the black trash cart.

That two-cart setup is the norm for most of the country — curbside food-scrap collection remains rare outside California and a handful of West Coast and Northeast cities.

The quick answer for Anchorage, AK

Plastic bottles & jugs	♻️ Green recycling cart	Empty; keep the cap on.
Aluminum & steel cans	♻️ Green recycling cart	Give them a rinse.
Flattened cardboard	♻️ Green recycling cart	Clean, dry sections only.
Glass bottles & jars	♻️ Green recycling cart	Lids off.
Food scraps	🗑️ Black trash cart	No curbside compost cart here.
Greasy pizza box	🗑️ Black trash cart	No curbside compost cart here.
Plastic bags & film	🗑️ Black trash cart	Store drop-off is better.
Batteries	⚠️ Hazardous	Never curbside — tape the terminals.

This is the short list. The full A–Z of what is and isn't recyclable is on what can I recycle? — or scan the item and get the answer for Anchorage, AK directly.

📷 Scan an item

Anchorage, AK recycling FAQ

Can you recycle plastic bags in Anchorage, AK?: Not in your green recycling cart. Bags and film wrap around the sorting equipment at the facility Municipality of Anchorage uses, which is why they're excluded almost everywhere. Take clean, dry bags back to a grocery-store drop-off, or put them in your black trash cart.
What do I do with batteries in Anchorage, AK?: Batteries never go in any of your Anchorage, AK carts — not the green recycling cart, not the black trash cart. They're household hazardous waste and a genuine fire risk in the truck. Tape the terminals and take them to a local e-waste or household-hazardous-waste drop-off.

Popular item guides

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Still not sure?

Rules vary by material and by hauler, and the sorting line is strict — one wrong item can contaminate a whole load. When in doubt, point your camera at the item for a verdict, or check the official Municipality of Anchorage guide.