Recycling

Recycling Rules & Regulations

Waste Management is the sanitation contractor for Lower Macungie Township and collects all of the recyclables for those households involved in the township's contract. Single stream recycling provides for the recycling of more items in a timely manner.  Please note:  All materials much be placed curbside the night before your collection day.  

Township supplied recycling carts can contain:

• Aluminum and bi-metal beverage cans
• Cardboard boxes (broken down, flattened and placed inside the recycling cart)
• Clear, green and brown glass food containers
• Junk mail and envelopes
• Magazines and catalogs
• Newspapers and inserts
• Plastic soda bottles, salad dressing, etc. (PETE) (Number "1" in the chasing arrow logo)
• Plastic milk and water bottles, shampoo/conditioner bottles, yogurt cups, etc (HDPE) (Number "2" in the chasing arrow logo)
• Ketchup and syrup bottles (PP) (Number "5" in the chasing arrow logo)
• Steel cans (tin)
• Telephone books

Residents are required to commingle all recyclables and place them in the recycling carts. Only recyclable materials as noted in the previous list can be placed in the township supplied cart. Other types of bins and containers are not acceptable and could result in your recyclables not being collected.

Material Preparation

The recyclable materials must be properly prepared before they are placed in the bins:

• All recyclables shall be drained and free of food and other foreign materials
• All cans, glass and plastic bottles must be rinsed.  Lids must be removed from glass jars.
• Plastic containers should be crushed to save space in your cart
• The only glass items acceptable are food and beverage containers
  • Light bulbs, window glass, ceramics and dishes are not acceptable
• Newspaper, junk mail, magazines and telephone books shall be placed in the cart since the lid will protect items from getting wet
• Cardboard boxes must be broken down and flattened and placed inside the cart; cardboard not prepared as noted can contaminate the waste stream and may affect collection
  • Excess cardboard can be considered a "bulk item" collection, and residents shall request a bulk item collection by calling Public Works
• No plastic bags please.  Plastic bags are not recyclable in our curbside program

Waste Management will collect the recyclable materials at curbside every week. They have the right to deny collection of any bin that does not meet the above regulations. They may place a tag on any bin not collected, detailing why it was not collected.

Extra recycle carts are available for purchase through the township if one bin is not enough for the amount of recycling normally generated within a single household. The original cart is the property of Lower Macungie Township. The original cart should remain with the address in the event of a move.