Taking out the trash in Boise? Learn what belongs in each bin
Sorting your trash can be a complicated process in Boise.
Figuring out which items can and cannot be recycled is a hassle, and there are separate rules for glass and organic waste.
Here’s your guide to sorting your household waste in Boise:
Who collects garbage in Boise? What’s my pickup schedule?
Republic Services handles trash, recycling and organic waste collection in the city of Boise.
You can enter your address online to see your pickup schedule, find holiday updates and track your garbage truck in real time.
What goes in my gray trash can?
Before you toss your trash into the gray waste bin, give it another look to see if it can be kept out of the landfill.
“Buy only what you need to limit excess that will become waste,” the city of Boise said.
According to the city of Boise, types of garbage that belong in the gray bin include:
- Artificial plants and Christmas trees
- Ash and charcoal
- Bottle caps
- Bug traps
- Gift wrapping and pages
- Ink and toner cartridges
- Pet waste such as dog poop and kitty litter
- Used contact lenses
What can I toss in my blue recycling bin?
Boise residents can toss cardboard boxes, aluminum cans and other containers into their blue recycling bins, according to the city’s website.
These items can go in your recycling container:
- Catalogs
- Cereal boxes
- Corrugated cardboard
- Envelopes, copy paper and Post-It notes
- Newspapers and magazines
- Plaslic bottles, jugs and jars labeled No. 1 and No. 2
- Plastic food tubs labeled No. 5
- Soft drink cans
- Soup cans
- Pie pans and foil
However, you should toss plastic grocery bags, shrink wrap and bubble wrap directly in the trash, along with empty aerosol cans plastic clamshell containers, packing peanuts and styrofoam cups.
Some recycable items, such as clean construction materials and electronics, should be taken directly to the landfill.
Boise residents can recycle the following items by dropping them off at the Ada County Landfill, 10300 North Seamans Gulch Road in Boise:
- Asphalt
- Bicycles
- Cardboard
- Clean wood
- Concrete
- Electric cords
- E-waste: TVs, printers and phones
- Lawn tools
- Scrap metal
- Tires
Can I recycle glass in my curbside waste container?
According to the city of Boise, glass bottles, jars and Pyrex containers should be kept out of your recycling bin. For $8.88 per cart, Boise residents can have glass containers picked up on a monthly basis.
You can also drop off glass for free at a local collection site.
What belongs in my organic waste container?
For compostable waste such as food scraps or lawn debris, use the gray organic waste bin with a green lid.
You can also put these items in a paper bag on the curb to avoid overflow.
Items that belong in your organic waste container include:
- Bedding and manure from horses and poultry
- Coffee filters and tea bags
- Egg shells
- Meat and poultry scraps, including bones and fat
- Veggie and fruit scraps
- Wooden waste such as corks, chopsticks and toothpicks
- Yard and landscaping debris, including branches, trees and brush
However you should avoid throwing some items into the compost, including ashes, pet waste and seeds and parts of invasive plants such as bamboo shoots.
What else can I do with plastic?
The city of Boise and Ada County have partnered with the Hefty Re-new program, which aims to keep “hard-to-recycle plastics” such as packing peanuts or to-go containers out of landfills, according to the Hefty website.
The orange bags used in the program can be found at local Walmart or Target locations.
However, the program may not be as environmentally friendly as advertised, the Idaho Statesman previously reported.
Rather than being repurposed into diesel gas, these bags have been sold off as fuel in concrete production, according to Statesman archives.
The best way to reduce your carbon footprint left in your trash can is by reducing your consumption of non-recyclable materials and plastics, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
How should I dispose of hazardous materials?
“Household hazardous waste comes from products used for cleaning, home improvements, automobile maintenance and lawn and garden care,” the city of Boise said on its website. “Many of these products contain ingredients that can harm human health and the environment.”
Instead of tossing automotive products, paint and other items in the trash, take them to one of the city’s hazardous waste collection sites:
Hazardous household waste items accepted at these sites include:
- Antifreeze
- Batteries
- Electronic equipment including cell phones, laptops, TVs and vape pens
- Fluorescent lights
- Helium and propane tanks
- Mercury thermometers and thermostats
- Paints, stains and solvents
- Pesticides and insecticides
- Pool chemicals
- Used motor oil
“The program does not accept explosives, ammunition, radioactive materials, biomedical waste or tires,” the city of Boise said.
According to the city, you can take old ammunition to Impact Guns, 11655 West Executive Drive in Boise. Call before you drop by at 208-321-1288.
What should I do with my lithium batteries?
Improperly disposed and store lithium batteries have caused fires in the Treasure Valley, according to previous Statesman reporting.
Drop off your used lithium batteries at a household hazardous waste collection site instead of dumping them in the trash.
This story was originally published March 25, 2026 at 4:00 AM with the headline "Taking out the trash in Boise? Learn what belongs in each bin."
