Recycling
Click here for the City of Erie 2021 Recycling Guide and Calendar
How to Recycle Items at the Curb
Use clear plastic bags or blue bins for curbside recycling.
Place clear recycling bags or blue bins curbside apart from trash on regular refuse collection nights. Blue bags are no longer accepted. Blue bins are not provided by the City of Erie.
Blue bins can be found at most local hardware stores.
Do not mix trash with recyclables.
Once contaminated, the recyclable items will not be sorted and the entire bag is thrown into the trash at the recycling facility.
Why don’t we use blue bags anymore?
The City of Erie’s recycling vendor only accepts recyclables that are visible through a clear plastic bag or seen in a blue bin. If they can’t see it, they won’t recycle it and the entire bag will be thrown in the trash.
Stop! Place these items in the trash
Styrofoam, items contaminated with food, and plastic cups, tubs, food take out containers (clam shells), or toys
Recycle These Items at the Curb
Newspaper, office paper, magazines
Place newspaper, office paper, and magazines with other recyclables in a clear plastic bag or blue bin.
Shredded paper
Shredded paper should be placed in its own clear bag, separate from any other materials. Residents are asked to do this because any item smaller than 2 inches will fall through the grates at the recycling facility and up as garbage.
Junk mail
Junk mail is also accepted as long as it is larger than 2”x2”. Envelopes are also accepted, but no plastic windows.
Bottles, jugs, and jars with a screw-top lid
Recycle #1 and #2 plastic items, which are bottles, jugs, and jars with a screw-top lid. (Ex: water bottles, laundry detergent jugs, and peanut butter jars.) All other plastic items, including the caps, should be thrown in the trash.
Why are we accepting less plastic?
At this time, the City of Erie recycling vendor can only accept #1 and #2 plastic bottles, jugs, or jars with screw-top caps. All other plastic items, including the caps, should be thrown in the trash.
Due to global market conditions, the demand for recycled plastic is low. Other plastic items used to be shipped overseas but are no longer being accepted because most of these items were not actually being recycled. We hope to have other options soon.Why don’t we accept plastic bags?
Plastic bags cause significant issues with the equipment at recycling facilities, jamming up the machines and requiring the entire facility to halt operations so the plastic film can be removed. These delays affect the success of overall recycling operations and can impact the cost of the program.
You can recycle plastic shopping bags at most grocery stores. Call your local grocer to see if they participate. When you recycle plastic bags at these locations, no sorting is needed and there is less contamination, so more material gets recycled.
All corrugated cardboard and paperboard (ex: cereal, tissue boxes) should be flattened so it takes up less space in the truck.Please remove packaging such as tape, plastic wrap and styrofoam and dispose of properly. If the box is larger than 4’, please break it down and place next to your other recyclables.
Place metal food and beverage cans (ex: steel/tin food cans, aluminum drink cans) with other recyclables in a clear plastic bag or blue bin.
Recycle These Items Elsewhere
Refrigerators, Freezers, Air ConditionersAppliance Disposal Company ○ 1-888-GO-FREON ○ Will pick up appliances up in your home or curbside. 1-888-(463-7366). A fee will be charged depending on item and pickup.
Refrigerators, Freezers, Air Conditioners (Metal items without FREON)
Liberty Iron & Metal ○ 646 E. 18th St. ○ (814) 452-4549
Lincoln Recycling ○ 1602 Selinger Ave. ○ (814) 838-7628
Stoves, Furnaces, Hot Water Tanks (Metal items without FREON)
Liberty Iron & Metal ○ 646 E. 18th St. ○ (814) 452-4549
Washers, Dryers, Refrigerators, Stoves, Microwaves (Still working)
Habitat for Humanity ReStore ○ 4922 Pittsburgh Ave. ○ (814) 464-8946 ○ REUSES the items
Automotive Batteries
The Battery Outlet ○ 2825 Liberty St. ○ (814) 868-7487
Erie Batteries ○ 1915 Parade St. ○ (814) 455-7789
Auto Zone ○ 3016 W. 26th St. ○ (814) 836-9041
Lincoln Recycling ○ 1602 Selinger Ave. ○ (814) 838-7628
Motor Oil
Advance Auto Parts ○ All locations ○ 2543 W. 12th St. ○ 2214 E. 38th St. ○ 6601 Peach St. 4635 Buffalo Rd.
Auto Zone ○ All locations ○ 3924 Peach St. ○ 3016 W. 26th St. ○ 2119 Broad St.
Metal Parts
Liberty Iron & Metal ○ 1431 East Ave. ○ (814) 452-4549
Lincoln Recycling ○ 1602 Selinger Ave. ○ (814) 838-7628
Metalico ○ 10224 West Main St. (RT. 20) ○ North East ○ (814) 725-1253
Tires
City of Erie Annual Tire Collection Event
Saturday, May 1, 2021 (9 a.m. – 1 p.m.)
Up to 6 tires per resident. Only passenger vehicles and light truck tires. No rims.
Who:
City of Erie residents ONLY. Photo ID required.
What:
Drive through and drop off tires for recycling on the appropriate day
Where:
City of Erie Municipal Garage Complex ○ 1926 Holland St. ○ (814) 870-1315
Most Retail Tire Outlets
Charge fee per tire.
Ni-Cd /Rechargeable (No Alkalines)
A Duchini, Inc. ○ 2550 McKinley Ave. ○ (814) 456-7027
Best Buy ○ 6650 Peach St. ○ (814) 860-8487
Home Depot ○ 7451 Peach St. ○ (814) 866-2772
Lincoln Recycling ○ 1602 Selinger Ave. ○ (814) 838-7628
Mueller Locksmith ○ 445 W. 8th St. ○ (814) 452-3345
Target ○ 6700 Peach St. ○ (814) 860-8511
Habitat for Humanity ReStore ○ 4922 Pittsburgh Ave. ○ (814) 464-8946REUSES the items ○ Call for hours and materials accepted, such as: cabinets, windows, doors, paint, trim, hardware, plumbing, flooring, electrical appliances, etc.
Have your installer remove the carpet. Cut the carpet into small pieces and place in bags curbside on your regular refuse pickup day.
City Hall Lobby Drop-off Box ○ 626 State St. ○ (814) 870-1450Lincoln Recycling ○ 1602 Selinger Ave. ○ (814) 838-7628
Donate to SafeNet, a nonprofit that serves victims of domestic violence ○ (814) 455-1774
Free Electronics Recycling
City of Erie Annual Electronics Collection Events
Saturday, May 1, 2021 (9 a.m. – 1 p.m.)
Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021 (9 a.m. – 1 p.m.)Acceptable Items: TVs, Computers, Monitors, Keyboards, Mice, Printers, Speakers, Tablets
Who:
City of Erie residents ONLY. Photo ID required.
What:
Drive through and drop off electronics for recycling on the appropriate day
Where:
City of Erie Municipal Garage Complex ○ 1926 Holland St. ○ (814) 870-1315
Other Electronics Recycling Options
Dell Reconnect at Goodwill locations *FREE
Harborcreek Goodwill ○ 1980 Nagle Rd. ○ (814) 616-4260
Summit Towne Center Goodwill ○ 7200 Peach St. ○ (814) 866-4762
Millcreek Goodwill ○ 2601 W. 26th St. ○ (814) 833-4501
Environmental Coordination Services & Recycling (ECS&R) ○ 3237 Highway 19, Cochranton, PA ○ (814) 425-7773
Erie County E-Cycling Events ○ (814) 451-6009 ○ Registration required
Lincoln Recycling ○ 1602 Selinger Ave. ○ (814) 838-7628
Fiesler West Recycling ○ 1202 W. 16th St. ○ (814) 454-6609
Fees will be charged depending on the amount being disposed.
Beez Appliances ○ 916 Parade St. ○ (814) 455-2192
Waste Management ○ 851 Robinson Rd. ○ (814) 824-7800
And other appliance stores certified to remove freon. Once the Freon is removed, you must take it to Lincoln Recycling or Liberty Iron & Metal.
Why don’t we accept glass curbside?
When mixed with other recyclables, glass breaks and ruins both the glass container and the other items in the bag. Once contaminated, the items cannot be sorted by our recycling vendor and the entire bag is thrown into the trash.
Where can I recycle glass?
Rinse glass containers and remove caps or lids. Labels can stay on. Drop off at:
Bayfront Glass, LLC ○ Main Location (24/7 drop-off) ○ 1310 East Ave, Erie ○ (814) 464-5880
Bayfront Glass, LLC ○ Whole Foods Co-op Location (regular store hours) ○ 1341 W. 26th St.
Check www.bayfrontglass.com for pop-up glass recycling events.
Prism Glass Recycling ○ Bayview Park ○ Cherry St. & W. 2nd St.
Prism Glass Recycling ○ Glenwood Park ○ W. 41st St. & Glenwood Park Ave.
Prism Glass Recycling ○ Rodger Young Park ○ 1807 Downing Ave.
Prism Glass Recycling ○ Joseph Walczak Sr. Park ○ Alan Dr. South
Fees will be charged depending on the amount being disposed.
Corrosives
Drain cleaners, rust removers, oven cleaners
Flammables
Gasoline, kerosene, butane, oil base paint, paint thinners
Toxics
Pool chemicals, pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, rat and mouse poison, flea collars, roach and ant killer, window cleaner, furniture polish, antifreeze, brake fluid, fluorescent lights, mercury, etc.
Environmental Coordination Services & Recycling (ECS&R) ○ 3237 Highway 19, Cochranton, PA ○ (814) 425-7773
Erie County Household Hazardous Waste Collection Events ○ (814) 451-6009
Aluminum, Brass, Cast Iron, Copper, and Steel
Liberty Iron & Metal ○ 646 E. 18th St. ○ (814) 452-4549
Lincoln Recycling ○ 1602 Selinger Ave. ○ (814) 838-7628
Metalico ○ 10224 West Main St. (RT. 20) ○ North East ○ (814) 725-1253
Latex Based Paint
Remove lid and let the contents air dry in your garage or basement or add a waste paint hardener or cat litter. Make sure the open can is out of the reach of children or little critters. When paint hardens, dispose of paint with refuse. The can, with the lid off, can be placed with curbside recyclables.
Oil-Based Paint
Flammable-Household Hazardous Waste (fees will be charged depending on the amount disposed).
Environmental Coordination Services & Recycling (ECS&R) ○ 3237 Highway 19, Cochranton, PA ○ (814) 425-7773
Erie County HHW Collection Events ○ (814) 451-6009
Newspaper, phone books, paperback, and comic books
Erie Energy Products, Inc. ○ 1400 Irwin Dr. ○ (814) 454-2828
Recycle plastic bags at most grocery stores. Call your local grocer and ask if they recycle plastic bags.
Plastic bags cause significant issues with the equipment at recycling facilities, jamming up the machines and requiring the entire facility to halt operations so the plastic film can be removed. These delays affect the success of overall recycling operations and can impact the cost of the program.
Laser or Inkjet
Toner Buyer ○ Once on their website, choose option 1 to sell your empty printer cartridge. Toner Buyer will send a free shipping label via email.
A fee may be charged. Small hand held propane tanks are recyclable, if the tops are cut off. Otherwise they can be disposed of in the regular garbage.Rent-A-Wreck ○ 4340 West Ridge Rd. ○ (814) 833-9941
Low Bucs Propane ○ 11526 East Lake Rd. ○ (814) 725-1325
Lincoln Recycling ○ 1602 Selinger Ave. ○ (814) 838-7628
Foam Fabricators Limited ○ 6550 West Ridge Rd. ○ (814) 838-4538Only accept foam packaging and styrofoam board. The products must be white in color and clean. NO peanuts.
Pony Express ○ 1903 West 8th St. ○ (814) 456-6245 ○ Any type of Styrofoam accepted
Contact
Department of Public Works
626 State St.
Room 504
Erie, PA 16501
(814) 870- 1450
Office of Sustainability
626 State St.
Room 507
Erie, PA 16501
Sarah Peelman
Recycling and Sustainability Coordinator
(814) 870- 1255