Recycling rules in Yuma, AZ

📍 City of Yuma · 2-cart program

Who collects your recycling in Yuma, AZ

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

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 Yuma, AZ

Plastic bottles & jugs♻️ Blue barrelEmpty; keep the cap on.
Aluminum & steel cans♻️ Blue barrelGive them a rinse.
Flattened cardboard♻️ Blue barrelClean, dry sections only.
Glass bottles & jars♻️ Blue barrelLids off.
Food scraps🗑️ Trash barrelNo curbside compost cart here.
Greasy pizza box🗑️ Trash barrelNo curbside compost cart here.
Plastic bags & film🗑️ Trash barrelStore drop-off is better.
Batteries⚠️ HazardousNever 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 Yuma, AZ directly.

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Yuma, AZ recycling FAQ

Can you recycle plastic bags in Yuma, AZ?
Not in your blue barrel. Bags and film wrap around the sorting equipment at the facility City of Yuma 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 barrel.
What do I do with batteries in Yuma, AZ?
Batteries never go in any of your Yuma, AZ carts — not the blue barrel, not the trash barrel. 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

How to dispose of light bulbsHow to dispose of motor oilHow to dispose of a refrigeratorHow to dispose of a couchCan you recycle styrofoam?Can you recycle plastic bags?

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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 Yuma guide.