Omaha Recycles Right

Keep Omaha Beautiful’s guide to helping you become a better recycler.

Omaha Recycles Right is a campaign created by Keep Omaha Beautiful to help answer your questions relating to recycling in Omaha. This campaign highlights what, where, why, and how items can be recycled in Omaha. Follow along on Facebook and Instagram for Omaha Recycles Right tips and tricks.

Why is it Important to Recycle Right?

Because taking simple steps to recycle right can be easy and impactful!

By taking just a few seconds to recycle right, you can help conserve limited natural resources, reduce pollution, contribute to clean water, and reduce Omaha’s reliance on landfills. Recycling provides the opportunity to create new packaging and products from what we already have.

When it comes to recycling, every community is different! Most communities have subtle differences in what they accept for recycling, so that's why it's important to read the guidelines specific to Omaha.

As much as we might want everything to be recyclable, many things cannot be recycled through Omaha's curbside recycling program. When you "wishfully recycle" something that cannot actually be recycled, you can contaminate the whole load, often causing even the good materials to go to the landfill. If you are unsure about something you are trying to recycle, it’s best to throw it out and let it go to the landfill to avoid contamination. Just because something is placed in the recycling bin, doesn't mean that it will be recycled. It’s not recycled unless it’s recycled right!

Learning to recycle the right way is good for Omaha and good for the environment. Join us on this journey and help us spread the word!

Where Can I Recycle Right?

Wondering where you can recycle right in Omaha?

Mixed Recycling:

1. Get a green bin and recycle from your curb! Green recycling bins are available to households within the Omaha city limits for free!

2. Find a recycling drop-off location near you! There are a number of full-service drop-off sites located around the city where you can recycle your mixed recycling as well as your glass.

Glass Recycling:

If you would like to recycle your glass, you must take it to an Omaha recycling drop-off site. Glass is NOT accepted curbside in your green recycling bin because it contaminates the other recyclables and it is dangerous for recycling employees and problematic for recycling machinery. Click here for a list of the glass drop-off recycling sites in Omaha.

Plastic Bag & Film Recycling:

Did you know that some of the soft/film plastics that CANNOT be recycled in your green curbside recycling bin CAN be recycled using the Wrap Recycling Action Program (WRAP)? Items like plastic grocery bags, plastic film, such as produce bags, dry cleaning bags, and the wrap around paper towels can be recycled at participating retail and grocery stores. Click here to find a plastic bag/wrap recycling drop-off location nearest you.

Hefty® EnergyBag®:

Non-recyclable soft/film plastics that CANNOT be recycled by the WRAP Program CAN be placed in the orange Hefty® EnergyBag® as part of an energy recovery process. Items include snack bags, candy wrappers, toothpaste tubes, plastic utensils, and polystyrene (styrofoam) cups, bowls, and take-out containers. When your bag is full, just tie up the orange bag and place it in your curbside green bin along with your mixed recycling. These are the ONLY plastic bags that should ever be placed in your curbside green bin. The orange bags are hand sorted at the recycling facility.

Special Recycling:

Some items cannot be recycled in your green curbside recycling bin or taken to a City of Omaha recycling drop-off site, however, there may be other options for recycling and reuse. Keep Omaha Beautiful has created a Recycling & Reuse Guide to provide information and resources for diverting special waste items for recycling or reuse in Omaha.

Recycle Right FAQ

Do I have to take labels off my recyclables before throwing them in my bin?

If you can easily remove a label that’s great, however, today’s recycling technology is designed to remove things like labels! High heat is an integral part of the recycling process for plastics and metal, so this takes care of any impurities attached to a product like labels and glue!
Do I need to take the staples out of my paper before recycling?

No, it’s not necessary to remove staples from your paper before recycling. Part of the paper recycling process involves a step that separates and removes staples and paperclips from the paper before it is turned into a pulp!
If something has the recycling arrows on it, it’s recyclable, right?

No — not always. The recycling logo stamped or printed on plastics can be a little misleading. Those little arrows and numbers represent the resin identification code, a reference to the type of plastic the item was made from, not whether it is recyclable. Instead of looking for the recycling icon on a piece of plastic, keep in mind two important things: 1. Is the plastic rigid/hard or soft? As a good rule of thumb, rigid/hard plastics can typically be recycled in your curbside bin, whereas soft plastic cannot be recycled curbside, but can be put in your orange Hefty® EnergyBag®. 2. Look to the numbers inside the recycling logo. Omaha accepts the following types of rigid/hard plastic in their curbside and drop-off site recycling: #1, #2, #3, and #5.
Can I put my recycling bin out in the rain?

Before setting your green bin out on the curb for pick up, check the weather! Moisture poses a problem for paper and cardboard. When paper/cardboard gets wet, the fibers deteriorate and shrink, making it less valuable to recycle. If you plan to put your recycling out overnight, check to see if rain is in the forecast. This may mean putting your recycling out closer to pick up time to avoid getting your valuable paper/cardboard wet.
Is my holiday gift wrapping recyclable?

Paper gift wrap, paper greeting cards, paper bags, and cardboard boxes can all be recycled in your curbside green recycling bin or at an Omaha drop-off recycling site! Foil, wax, glitter, or plastic gift wrap/gift bags, as well as tissue paper, ribbons, bows, and tape should stay out of the bin as these materials cannot be recycled. Instead, consider reusing these wrappings for next year's gift-giving!

If you participate in the Hefty® EnergyBag® program, plastic wrapping, plastic ribbons, and plastic bows can go in your orange Hefty® EnergyBag®. When in Doubt, Throw it Out! If you are unsure about a gift wrap you are trying to recycle, it’s best to throw it out to avoid contamination.

What Goes Where?

When it comes to recycling, it can sometimes be difficult to know What Goes Where. We created this quick visual guide to help you find where and how to recycle different items you may encounter on a daily basis. Click the photos below to find out What Goes Where!

Please note that this is not an exhaustive list. Additionally, Keep Omaha Beautiful does not officially endorse any of the brands shown below. If you have any comments or questions about this guide, please contact us at hellokob@cityofomaha.org.

For an extensive guide on What Goes Where, visit Wasteline's Recycling and Disposal Chart or First Star Fiber's Recycling Guide to search specific items by name.

Click the button below to download our Simple Recycling Guide.

Chip bags are made out of plastics that CANNOT be recycled by traditional means. However, they CAN go in the orange Hefty® EnergyBag® for energy recovery. Just tie up the orange bag and place it in a curbside green bin along with your mixed recycling.
Postcards, paper envelopes with small clear plastic windows, and fliers can be recycled curbside in your green bin or at an Omaha drop-off site.
Pizza boxes are recyclable but crusts and cheese are not! Make sure to remove crusts and scrape cheese off the inside of the box before recycling. Grease stains, big or small, will not hurt the recyclability of a pizza box!
Toothpaste tubes are made out of plastics that CANNOT be recycled by traditional means. However, they CAN go in the orange Hefty® EnergyBag® for energy recovery. Just tie up the orange bag and place it in a curbside green bin along with your mixed recycling.