Can you recycle plastic bags in Portland, ME?

Not in your recycling. Bags and film wrap around the sorting equipment at the facility City of Portland, ME 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 trash (blue bags).

What do I do with batteries in Portland, ME?

Batteries never go in any of your Portland, ME carts — not the recycling, not the trash (blue bags). 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 Portland, ME

📍 City of Portland, ME · 2-cart program

Who collects your recycling in Portland, ME

Portland, ME collects its own residential waste: City of Portland, ME operates the carts directly rather than contracting the route to a private hauler. Households get two carts — a recycling for recyclables and a trash (blue bags) for everything else. There is no curbside compost cart, so food scraps and food-soiled paper go in the trash (blue bags).

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 Portland, ME

Plastic bottles & jugs	♻️ Recycling	Empty; keep the cap on.
Aluminum & steel cans	♻️ Recycling	Give them a rinse.
Flattened cardboard	♻️ Recycling	Clean, dry sections only.
Glass bottles & jars	♻️ Recycling	Lids off.
Food scraps	🗑️ Trash (blue bags)	No curbside compost cart here.
Greasy pizza box	🗑️ Trash (blue bags)	No curbside compost cart here.
Plastic bags & film	🗑️ Trash (blue bags)	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 Portland, ME directly.

📷 Scan an item

Portland, ME recycling FAQ

Can you recycle plastic bags in Portland, ME?: Not in your recycling. Bags and film wrap around the sorting equipment at the facility City of Portland, ME 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 trash (blue bags).
What do I do with batteries in Portland, ME?: Batteries never go in any of your Portland, ME carts — not the recycling, not the trash (blue bags). 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 City of Portland, ME guide.