Household Recycling FAQ

Yes! Glass is accepted for recycling in the blue bin labeled “Glass Only” at the Blount County Recycling Center. Please do not put glass in your curbside recycling bin, in any other bin at the Blount County Recycling Center, or in any bin at the City of Maryville Recycling Centers.

Plastic grocery bags cannot be placed in your curbside recycling bin or brought to the recycling drop-off centers. Grocery bags can be placed in collection bins at the grocery store or taken to the UT Office of Sustainability Public Drop-off with your other plastic film recycling.

Yes, but shredded paper must be stapled closed in a paper bag to be recycled. Otherwise, it is too small to be captured in the system. Shredded paper should not be enclosed in plastic bags or cardboard boxes.

Yes, as long as there is no food residue (grease is okay). At the very least, the top of the box should be clean and can be torn off for recycling.

No, aluminum cans are the only form of aluminum accepted for recycling.

Yes! Wax-coated cartons such as juice cartons, half and half cartons, and coffee cups are now accepted for recycling. You can also put paper plates in the recycling bin as long as they are scraped clean of food.

No, plastic bottle caps and sticker labels do not need to be removed from bottles in order to recycle. However, make sure to remove spray nozzles from bottles and only recycle the bottle.

No, aerosol cans are not accepted for recycling as they can explode on the line and pose a threat to workers.

Corrugated cardboard is made up of three layers: two outer layers and a thick inner layer. This typically includes moving and shipping boxes. Non-corrugated cardboard, or paperboard, is only one layer. Examples include cereal and other food boxes.

Single-stream recycling means all recyclables are mixed together in the bin and separated later at a recycling facility. Residents do not need to separate their paper, metal, and plastic.

All Blount, Knox, and Anderson county’s recycling is sent to WestRock recycling for processing and they only have the capability and capacity to accept certain items. Other items are not accepted when there are no buyers for the processed material.

The City of Alcoa, City of Maryville, and Blount County contract with Waste Connections to deliver recyclables to WestRock Recycling where it is sorted and processed. The baled materials are then sold to various companies, mostly in the southeast region.

Recycling becomes contaminated when items that are not accepted are put in the recycling bin. This slows down facility efficiency, damages machinery, and often makes what could have been recycled worthless. It is very important to leave items that cannot be recycled out of the recycling bin.