Portsmouth Recycling Guide

Single-Stream Recycling Made Easy!

Portsmouth uses a single-stream recycling system, meaning all accepted recyclables go into one bin—no sorting needed!

What Can Be Recycled?

Your recyclables must be dry, loose (not bagged), and include ONLY these items:

✅ Metal & Glass

• Aluminum cans – empty
• Steel and tin cans – empty
• Aerosol cans – empty (remove plastic lid)
• Glass food & beverage containers (brown, clear, or green) – empty

✅ Plastic

• #1 PET plastic bottles (with screw tops) – empty (caps can stay on)
• #2 HDPE plastic bottles (milk, water, detergent, shampoo, etc.) – empty
• #3-#7 plastic containers – empty (no expanded polystyrene)

✅ Paper & Cardboard

• Newspapers, mail, magazines, pamphlets
• Uncoated paperboard (cereal/food boxes)
• Office paper (uncoated)
• Corrugated cardboard – flatten to save space
• Phone books

What CAN'T Be Recycled?

Please keep these out of your recycling bin:

🚫 Plastic Bags & Bagged Items

• Plastic bags get tangled in equipment. Empty recyclables directly into the bin and reuse or recycle plastic bags at grocery stores.

🚫 Non-Recyclable Plastics

• Expanded polystyrene (Styrofoam)
• Plastic utensils, straws, cups with wax/plastic coating
• Flexible plastic (chip bags, juice/soup pouches)

🚫 Glass, Metal & Other Household Items

• Mirrors, light bulbs, cookware, and bakeware
• Hoses, cords, wires, and ropes (these jam recycling equipment)
• Scrap metal, auto parts, and appliances

🚫 Food & Liquids

• Food waste can be composted at the Public Works' Recycling Center
• Greasy pizza boxes? Tear off the clean part and recycle it

🚫 Hazardous & Medical Waste

• Needles, syringes, IV bags (dispose of safely in rigid containers)
• Propane tanks, batteries, construction debris
• Household chemicals

🚫 Clothing & Textiles

• Bedding, pillows, sheets, shower curtains, etc. (Donate instead!) Clothing collection location at Transfer Station.

💡 Need more details? Visit plasticfilmrecycling.org for plastic bag drop-off locations.

Keeping our recycling clean helps ensure materials get properly processed. Thank you for recycling the right way!

✅ How to Set Out Yard Waste:

• Use paper bags or a clearly marked trash barrel labeled "Yard Waste."
• Brush & Branches:
  • Cut into 4-foot lengths or shorter
  • No branches larger than 5 inches in diameter
  • Bundle neatly with string or twine (max 1-foot diameter per bundle)
  • Each bundle must weigh 50 pounds or less
  • Click here for more details. 

Keeping yard waste properly prepared helps ensure smooth collection—thank you for doing your part! 🌿

CLICK HERE for information on bulky waste curbside collection

Portsmouth residents can recycle the following specialty items at the Recycling Center—curbside collection is NOT available.

♻️ Accepted Items:

• Antifreeze
• Batteries (Alkaline batteries can go in regular household trash)
• Clothing
• Cooking oil & vegetable oil
• Eyeglasses
• Fluorescent light bulbs
• Oil & oil filters
• Empty propane tanks

📍 Bring these items to the Recycling Center for proper disposal!

RV Waste (Available at Pease Treatment Plant – Call (603) 427-1553)