What can I put in my curbside recycling bin in Orange County, NY?

Most Orange County haulers accept single-stream recycling: rigid plastics #1, #2, and #5; aluminum and steel cans; glass bottles and jars; cardboard; paperboard; and clean paper. Everything should be empty, rinsed, and loose in the bin — never bagged. Rules vary slightly by town and hauler, so confirm with your municipality or carter before your first pickup.

What is NOT recyclable curbside?

Plastic bags and film, foam containers, greasy pizza boxes, paper cups with plastic lining, garden hoses, tanglers like cords and holiday lights, propane tanks, batteries, needles, and scrap metal do not belong in the curbside bin. Plastic bags and film go back to grocery-store take-back bins; the rest go to a drop-off or hazardous-waste event.

Where do I take household hazardous waste in Orange County?

Paint, solvents, pesticides, pool chemicals, motor oil, and fluorescent bulbs are collected at Orange County's Household Hazardous Waste events, held seasonally at county sites. Registration is usually required in advance and the events are free to county residents. Never pour these down a drain or storm sewer — Orange County drains feed the Quassaick, Moodna, and Ramapo watersheds.

How do I recycle electronics (e-waste) in Orange County?

New York's Electronic Equipment Recycling and Reuse Act bans TVs, computers, monitors, printers, and small electronics from the trash. Use a registered e-waste collection event, a Best Buy or Staples take-back program, or a certified local recycler. Wipe your data before dropping anything off.

What do I do with old appliances, scrap metal, and refrigerators?

Appliances containing refrigerants (fridges, freezers, dehumidifiers, AC units) must have the refrigerant professionally removed before scrapping. Many Orange County scrap yards accept clean metal, and utility bounty programs will sometimes haul an old working fridge for free. See our Hudson Valley appliance recycling guide for the full walkthrough.

Can I recycle batteries in Orange County?

Yes, but not curbside. Rechargeable and lithium-ion batteries are accepted at hardware-store and big-box take-back kiosks under New York's Rechargeable Battery Law. Loose lithium batteries in the trash or bin start fires in collection trucks and transfer stations — tape the terminals and drop them off.

Does recycling in Orange County actually get recycled?

Clean, correctly sorted material does. Contamination is the biggest reason loads get rejected and landfilled: a single bagged load or a greasy container can downgrade an entire truck. Rinsing containers and keeping bags out of the bin is the highest-leverage thing a household can do.

How does recycling connect to Orange Environment's work?

Waste policy is land-use policy. Orange Environment is fighting permitted garbage transfer stations, mega-warehouse sprawl, and hyperscale data centers that increase truck traffic and waste volume across Orange County. Reducing what leaves your curb reduces the pressure for those facilities.

Guide

Recycling in Orange County, NY

What goes in the bin, what absolutely doesn't, and where to take everything else — a plain-English recycling guide for Orange County and Hudson Valley residents.

Recycling here is local, and the rules are not obvious

Orange County recycling is run town-by-town through municipal contracts and private carters, so what your neighbor two towns over puts in the bin may not match your rules. The result is contamination — and contaminated loads get landfilled instead of recycled.

This guide covers the six waste streams every household deals with, the drop-offs that handle the material your curbside bin won't, and the steps that make the biggest difference. Confirm specifics with your town, and use this as your working checklist.

The six streams to sort

Curbside single-stream

Plastics #1, #2, #5, metal cans, glass bottles and jars, cardboard, and clean paper. Empty, rinsed, and loose — never in a bag.

Store take-back film

Grocery bags, bread bags, bubble wrap, and case overwrap belong in supermarket film bins, not your curbside cart.

Batteries & electronics

Banned from the trash in New York. Use retail kiosks and registered e-waste collections; tape lithium terminals first.

Household hazardous waste

Paint, solvents, pesticides, motor oil, and bulbs go to county HHW events — never down a storm drain.

Organics & yard waste

Food scraps and leaves are the largest slice of the waste stream. Backyard composting keeps them out of a transfer station entirely.

Bulky items & scrap metal

Appliances, furniture, and metal need scheduled pickups or scrap yards. Refrigerants must be removed by a technician.

Yes / No: the curbside cheat sheet

Goes in the bin

Plastic bottles, jugs, and tubs (#1, #2, #5)
Aluminum and steel food and beverage cans
Glass bottles and jars, rinsed
Corrugated cardboard, flattened
Paperboard boxes, newspaper, office paper, mail
Empty aerosol cans with the cap removed

Keep it out

Plastic bags and any bagged recyclables
Foam cups, trays, and packing peanuts
Greasy pizza boxes and food-soaked paper
Coffee cups and other plastic-lined paper
Batteries, bulbs, needles, propane tanks
Hoses, cords, holiday lights, and other tanglers

When in doubt, throw it out — a "wish-cycled" item does more damage in the bin than in the trash.

Next steps for Orange County residents

Confirm your town's rules
Orange County recycling is administered town-by-town through municipal carters. Check your town's sanitation page or call your hauler to confirm accepted plastics and pickup day.
Set up a three-bin system at home
One bin for curbside recyclables, one bag for store take-back film, and one box for batteries, bulbs, and small electronics. Most contamination happens because there is nowhere else to put things.
Rinse, flatten, and keep it loose
Rinse food residue, flatten cardboard, and never bag recyclables. Contaminated loads get landfilled — this single habit decides whether your bin actually gets recycled.
Calendar the county HHW and e-waste events
These are seasonal and often require pre-registration. Stage a hazardous-waste box in the garage so you are ready when a date opens.
Start composting food scraps
A backyard bin or tumbler diverts roughly a third of household waste and feeds native plantings. Pair it with a pollinator garden for a closed loop.
Push the policy upstream
Recycling can't out-run sprawl. Join Orange Environment and help us fight new garbage transfer stations, warehouse expansion, and data centers in Orange County.

Frequently asked questions

What can I put in my curbside recycling bin in Orange County, NY?: Most Orange County haulers accept single-stream recycling: rigid plastics #1, #2, and #5; aluminum and steel cans; glass bottles and jars; cardboard; paperboard; and clean paper. Everything should be empty, rinsed, and loose in the bin — never bagged. Rules vary slightly by town and hauler, so confirm with your municipality or carter before your first pickup.
What is NOT recyclable curbside?: Plastic bags and film, foam containers, greasy pizza boxes, paper cups with plastic lining, garden hoses, tanglers like cords and holiday lights, propane tanks, batteries, needles, and scrap metal do not belong in the curbside bin. Plastic bags and film go back to grocery-store take-back bins; the rest go to a drop-off or hazardous-waste event.
Where do I take household hazardous waste in Orange County?: Paint, solvents, pesticides, pool chemicals, motor oil, and fluorescent bulbs are collected at Orange County's Household Hazardous Waste events, held seasonally at county sites. Registration is usually required in advance and the events are free to county residents. Never pour these down a drain or storm sewer — Orange County drains feed the Quassaick, Moodna, and Ramapo watersheds.
How do I recycle electronics (e-waste) in Orange County?: New York's Electronic Equipment Recycling and Reuse Act bans TVs, computers, monitors, printers, and small electronics from the trash. Use a registered e-waste collection event, a Best Buy or Staples take-back program, or a certified local recycler. Wipe your data before dropping anything off.
What do I do with old appliances, scrap metal, and refrigerators?: Appliances containing refrigerants (fridges, freezers, dehumidifiers, AC units) must have the refrigerant professionally removed before scrapping. Many Orange County scrap yards accept clean metal, and utility bounty programs will sometimes haul an old working fridge for free. See our Hudson Valley appliance recycling guide for the full walkthrough.
Can I recycle batteries in Orange County?: Yes, but not curbside. Rechargeable and lithium-ion batteries are accepted at hardware-store and big-box take-back kiosks under New York's Rechargeable Battery Law. Loose lithium batteries in the trash or bin start fires in collection trucks and transfer stations — tape the terminals and drop them off.
Does recycling in Orange County actually get recycled?: Clean, correctly sorted material does. Contamination is the biggest reason loads get rejected and landfilled: a single bagged load or a greasy container can downgrade an entire truck. Rinsing containers and keeping bags out of the bin is the highest-leverage thing a household can do.
How does recycling connect to Orange Environment's work?: Waste policy is land-use policy. Orange Environment is fighting permitted garbage transfer stations, mega-warehouse sprawl, and hyperscale data centers that increase truck traffic and waste volume across Orange County. Reducing what leaves your curb reduces the pressure for those facilities.

Recycling is the last step — land use is the first

Orange Environment has been fighting landfills, transfer stations, and sprawl in Orange County since 1982. Membership is $25 a year and funds the legal and organizing work behind every one of these campaigns.

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