Can you recycle plastic bags in San Antonio, TX?

Not in your blue cart. Bags and film wrap around the sorting equipment at the facility City of San Antonio 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 brown garbage cart.

What do I do with batteries in San Antonio, TX?

Batteries never go in any of your San Antonio, TX carts — not the blue cart, not the brown 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 San Antonio, TX

📍 City of San Antonio (SWMD) · 3-cart program

Who collects your recycling in San Antonio, TX

San Antonio, TX collects its own residential waste: City of San Antonio (SWMD) operates the carts directly rather than contracting the route to a private hauler. Households get three carts — a blue cart for recyclables, a green organics cart for food scraps and yard trimmings, and a brown 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 San Antonio, TX

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

📷 Scan an item

San Antonio, TX recycling FAQ

Can you recycle plastic bags in San Antonio, TX?: Not in your blue cart. Bags and film wrap around the sorting equipment at the facility City of San Antonio 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 brown garbage cart.
What do I do with batteries in San Antonio, TX?: Batteries never go in any of your San Antonio, TX carts — not the blue cart, not the brown 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.

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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 San Antonio (SWMD) guide.