Can you recycle plastic bags in Salt Lake City, UT?

Not in your blue recycling cart. Bags and film wrap around the sorting equipment at the facility Salt Lake City 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 garbage cart.

What do I do with batteries in Salt Lake City, UT?

Batteries never go in any of your Salt Lake City, UT carts — not the blue recycling cart, not the black garbage 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 Salt Lake City, UT

📍 Salt Lake City · 3-cart program

Who collects your recycling in Salt Lake City, UT

Residential curbside collection in Salt Lake City, UT is provided by Salt Lake City under an exclusive franchise, so every household on the route gets the same carts and the same accepted-items list. Households get three carts — a blue recycling cart for recyclables, a brown compost cart for food scraps and yard trimmings, and a black garbage cart for everything else.

Curbside food-scrap collection is still uncommon in the US, so the green cart here is worth using.

The quick answer for Salt Lake City, UT

Plastic bottles & jugs	♻️ Blue recycling cart	Empty; keep the cap on.
Aluminum & steel cans	♻️ Blue recycling cart	Give them a rinse.
Flattened cardboard	♻️ Blue recycling cart	Clean, dry sections only.
Glass bottles & jars	♻️ Blue recycling cart	Lids off.
Food scraps	🌱 Brown compost cart	Fruit, veg, leftovers, bones.
Greasy pizza box	🌱 Brown compost cart	A clean box can be recycled instead.
Plastic bags & film	🗑️ Black garbage 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 Salt Lake City, UT directly.

📷 Scan an item

Salt Lake City, UT recycling FAQ

Can you recycle plastic bags in Salt Lake City, UT?: Not in your blue recycling cart. Bags and film wrap around the sorting equipment at the facility Salt Lake City 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 garbage cart.
What do I do with batteries in Salt Lake City, UT?: Batteries never go in any of your Salt Lake City, UT carts — not the blue recycling cart, not the black garbage 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 Salt Lake City guide.