Recycling

The City of Shaker Heights provides weekly recycling for residents. Recycling is collected on the same schedule as trash (view the Collection Calendar to determine the service day for your address). Residents can also drop off recycling at the Recycling Center on Saturdays and Sundays, 8 am-4 pm, at 15600 Chagrin Blvd.

Five-gallon buckets are used for Shaker's recycling program. Please email Public Works to request your free buckets.

ONLY the following can be recycled:

• CANS: Includes all metal food and beverage cans such as pop, beer, soup, vegetable, and tuna. Cans should be emptied and rinsed.
• CARTONS: Includes milk, juice, soup/broth, and wine cartons. Cartons should be emptied and rinsed. Replace the cap.
• CUPS: Aluminum and SOME paper and plastic cups. Empty and rinse. NO lids or straws. No plastic party cups (e.g. cups like Solo brand). NO wax/plastic lined cups (like most coffee cups).
• GLASS BOTTLES & JARS: Includes glass food and beverage bottles and jars. Empty, rinse, and replace the lid. You do not need to remove the label.
• PAPER & BOXES: All paper and boxes can be recycled, including newspapers, magazines, junk mail, shipping boxes, greeting cards, cereal boxes, cardboard, phone books, and clean pizza boxes. Flatten cardboard boxes (make sure all shipping materials are removed).
• PLASTIC BOTTLES, JUGS & TUBS: Containers should be emptied and rinsed. Replace the caps or lids. Note, tubs include yogurt, cottage cheese, sour cream, margarine and the like. NO plastic clamshell containers, including NO berry, lettuce, tomato or other produce containers. These are not tubs.

These are the only recyclables currently accepted for recycling by the City's recycling facility, Waste Management. All other items must go in the trash or be recycled elsewhere (for example, you may bring plastic bags to Heinen's).

Guidelines

Follow these guidelines when preparing your recycling for collection:

• Empty and rinse all containers
• Leave the caps and lids on
• NEVER BAG your recyclables; the City's recycling facility will not accept recyclables in plastic bags, so bagged recyclables will go in the trash.
• Commingle (i.e. mix together) recyclables in your recycling bucket
• Place recycling out for collection on your regular trash day
• Request free recycling buckets by emailing Public Works.

The guidelines for recycling in Cuyahoga County (including what's recyclable) are determined by the Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District in partnership with our region's recycling facilities. For detailed information and answers to many questions about recycling in Cuyahoga County, please visit Cuyahoga Recycles.

Contamination

The biggest threat to our recycling program is contamination. This is when residents place non-recyclables in their recycling bucket — or bag their recyclables in plastic. When a resident's recycling is too contaminated, we have no choice but to throw all of it in the garbage. 

Why isn't more recyclable? Check out this recent video from the New York Times to learn more about problems with recycling, especially plastics.