Recently a reader emailed me inquiring about options for recycling in Madison. He lives in an apartment community that does not have a pick-up service and was coming up blank with figuring out where he could drop off recycled goods on his own.
Because I didn’t have a solid answer, I asked the All Things Madison community on Instagram and Facebook. I had a handful of people ask me to report my findings because they too were interested in where to recycle.
In this article, I’ve compiled a list of information about recycling in Madison, Alabama, both for single-family residences and as well as for those who are looking for somewhere specific to take additional items.
Recycling in Madison, Alabama
If you live in a single-family home:
The Recycling Alliance of North Alabama (RANA) offers 95-gallon blue carts that are picked up monthly. To request your first or second cart, please click here.
Below is a list of items that are acceptable versus not acceptable to put in the blue carts according to madisonal.gov.
ACCEPTABLE IN BLUE CARTS
- Newspapers and magazines
- Junk mail
- Brown paper bags
- Cardboard (must be broken down flat, smaller than 2’x’2′, and fit inside the bin)
- Cereal boxes
- Paperback books
- Cans (aluminum, steel, empty aerosol from shaving cream, hair spray, air freshener, etc.) but PLEASE REMOVE LIDS
- Plastic
- Jugs and bottles without lids (milk jugs, soft drink bottles, laundry bottles, shampoo bottles, any narrow neck bottles that has a #1 or #2 on the bottom) and PLEASE RINSE
ACCEPTABLE, BUT NOT IN THE BLUE CARTS
- Batteries and used motor oil: According to MadisonAL.gov, “Motor oil and household batteries will no longer be collected curbside. The new Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) facility, located at 1055 A Cleaner Way in Huntsville, accepts these materials, and another household hazardous waste. The HHW facility is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and provides a convenient, drive-thru service for residents of Huntsville, Madison, and Madison County. Weekend drop-off locations are also provided through HHW Community Collection Events (CCE’s).”
NOT ACCEPTABLE
- Cans that contained poison, paint, or auto products
- Scrap metal
- Aluminum foil
- Disposable aluminum pie plates
- Motor oil containers
- Poison containers
- Plastic wrap
- Plastic bags
- Wide mouth containers such as yogurt and margarine tubs
- Lead-acid batteries used in cars, motorcycles, lawnmowers, boats, antifreeze, transmission fluid, and brake fluid
Drop-Off Recycling Locations (Outside of Madison)
For a list of locations in Huntsville that accept cardboard recycling, click here.
There is a drop-off location in Athens that accepts almost everything on the list above PLUS glass and electronics. They accept recycling Monday through Friday. Click here for location and more information.
Most Publix locations offer storefront recycling but have limitations on what they accept. Please review the complete list before recycling at these locations.
The Huntsville Animal Services Foundation has an aluminum can drink program called “Recycle for Rover”. Your empty beverage cans be can donated in the south rear area of the Animal Services building (signage is posted). Your donation supports its services financially.
More from Madison
How the New Goodwill Donation Center in Madison, Alabama Differs From a Thrift Store
