Recycling

Changes Effective April 2019:
Plastic bags, textiles and pots/pans are no longer accepted in recycling bins. Residents can still recycle these materials at various locations throughout the county. For specific disposal/recycling information, type the name of the item in our search tool.

Madison County uses a two-bin recycling system where paper products are placed into one bin and plastic/metal/glass containers are placed into another. Do NOT put recyclables in a plastic bag. Keep recyclables loose in the recycling bins. All recyclables must be empty, clean & dry.

Recycling bins are available for Madison County residents at our 4 transfer stations, when they are open.

Paper Bin:


Paper recyclables

Accepted: Newspaper & Inserts, Cardboard (flattened), Paper, Mail & Envelopes, Magazines & Catalogs, Telephone Books, Cereal Boxes and other Boxboard (dry food boxes, product boxes, gift boxes, paper towel rolls, toilet paper rolls), Pizza Boxes (grease is okay, remove large food particles), Non-Metallic Greeting Cards & Wrapping Paper, Paper Bags, Shredded Paper (Place in Paper Bags)

Not Accepted: Frozen, Refrigerated or Microwave Product Boxes, Paper Cups, Soda & Beer Cartons/Carriers, Paper Egg Cartons, Tissue Paper, Wax-Coated Corrugated Boxes, Milk or Juice Cartons, Carbon or Wax Paper, Folders or Spiral Books with Metal Parts, Anything Containing Foil, Metal or Plastic


Containers Bin:
Container Recyclables

Accepted: Plastic Bottles & Jugs with a neck (such as Plastic Milk & Water Jugs, Soap & Detergent Bottles, Water Bottles, and Deposit Bottles), Plastic Yogurt & Dairy Tubs, Aluminum Cans, Metal Containers & Metal Lids, Aluminum Foil, Aluminum Plates & Trays, Empty Aerosol Cans, Glass Bottles & Jars

Not Accepted: Plastic Clamshell Containers, Plastic Take-Out Containers, Black Plastic, Plastic Bags and other films, Plastic Cups, Straws & Lids, Plastic Toys, Buckets or Pails, Bottles that contained hazardous products, Any other plastics, Partially or Full Containers, Pots and Pans, Scrap Metal, Window or Auto Glass, Ceramic or Crystal, Light Bulbs, and Mirrors.

Special Note: In an effort to educate the public on what plastics can and cannot be recycled, we have moved our messaging away from using the #1-7 symbols. These numbers reflect the plastic resin used to make a product and does NOT guarantee that an item can be recycled. Instead, our messaging focuses on the shape of the material such as plastic bottles/jugs that have a "neck" or taper at the top and plastic dairy tubs. Several other communities have moved away from the number messaging as well in order to limit contamination in their recycling stream.