Choose the Right Delaware Recycling Drop-Off Before You Drive
The Delaware Recycling Center is operated by the Delaware Solid Waste Authority at 1101 Lambson Lane, New Castle, DE 19720. Current resident recycling-center hours are Monday–Friday 8:30 AM–3:30 PM and Saturday 8:30 AM–2:00 PM.
Standard recycling is free for Delaware residents, but electronics, Styrofoam, household hazardous waste, confidential-document shredding, latex paint and construction debris follow different service rules or schedules.
Quick Answer for Delaware Residents
The DSWA Delaware Recycling Center is at 1101 Lambson Lane, New Castle. Public recycling drop-off is currently listed Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM and Saturday from 8:30 AM to 2:00 PM.
DSWA says standard recycling-center services are free for Delaware residents. Facilities accept material generated within Delaware; out-of-state material is not accepted. Some special materials are accepted only on designated days or at specific times.
Do not confuse drop-off hours with full facility hours
DSWA separately lists broader Delaware Recycling Center facility hours of Monday–Friday 5:00 AM–5:00 PM and Saturday 5:00 AM–2:00 PM. Those hours do not mean residential recycling opens at 5:00 AM.
For household recycling and related resident drop-off services, follow the 8:30 AM public opening time.
On this page
- Facility overview
- Hours and holidays
- Cost and eligibility
- Prepare for your visit
- Everyday recycling
- Styrofoam
- Oil, filters and batteries
- Special collection schedule
- Electronics
- Household hazardous waste
- Document shredding
- Latex paint
- Construction & demolition
- Wrong-route materials
- Other DSWA locations
- Trip checklist
- Map
- FAQs
Delaware Recycling Center Overview
The Delaware Recycling Center is a DSWA recycling campus in New Castle. It combines resident drop-off recycling with several scheduled special-collection programs and separate recycling operations run with partner companies.
Republic operates a materials recovery facility where household recycling is sorted and baled. Revolution Recovery handles construction and demolition material such as wood, drywall, metal and carpet. Those C&D services are separate from standard resident recycling.
Everyday recycling
Single-stream paper, cardboard, eligible plastic containers, glass bottles and jars, aluminum and steel cans.
Special programs
Electronics, household hazardous waste, document shredding, latex paint and Styrofoam have dedicated rules or schedules.
C&D operation
Construction and demolition material uses the Revolution Recovery operation and can involve a tipping fee.
Delaware Recycling Center Hours
| Service | Current Schedule | Planning Note |
|---|---|---|
| Resident Drop-Off Monday–Friday | 8:30 AM–3:30 PM | Use this schedule for normal resident recycling. |
| Resident Drop-Off Saturday | 8:30 AM–2:00 PM | Special collections may also occur Saturday. |
| Sunday | No regular public drop-off hours listed | Do not plan a normal Sunday recycling visit. |
| Facility Monday–Friday | 5:00 AM–5:00 PM | Broader campus hours; not the resident recycling opening time. |
| Facility Saturday | 5:00 AM–2:00 PM | Resident recycling still starts at 8:30 AM. |
Holiday schedules can override normal hours
DSWA publishes holiday closures separately. Before a holiday-weekend trip, check the current DSWA facility or holiday page rather than relying on normal weekly hours or a map listing.
Fees, Delaware Residency and Out-of-State Material
DSWA states that its standard recycling-center services are free for Delaware residents and require no payment for ordinary accepted recycling. That does not make every activity on the New Castle campus free.
Standard recycling
No payment is required for standard accepted recycling-center services.
Out-of-state material
DSWA says its facilities accept materials generated within Delaware only. Out-of-state material is not accepted.
Paid services
C&D recycling, landfills, transfer stations and collection-station trash services can have separate fees.
How to Prepare Before Visiting
DSWA publishes practical instructions for recycling-center visits. Preparing the load before leaving home reduces unloading time and helps prevent material from going into the wrong container.
Secure the load
Keep all materials safely contained during transport so loose recycling cannot blow or fall from the vehicle.
Separate special materials
Keep everyday recycling, electronics, Styrofoam, batteries, used oil, confidential papers, paint and hazardous products separated.
Check special collection timing
Household hazardous waste, shredding and latex paint are not ordinary daily drop-off programs.
Follow the designated drop-off route
Pull into the marked area and follow facility signs and staff instructions.
Be ready to unload your own material
DSWA advises customers to arrive prepared to unload because staff cannot be relied upon to unload customer vehicles.
Use the correct containers
Place each material into its designated collection area rather than leaving items beside bins.
Check your unloading area before leaving
Make sure each material went into the proper location and no rejected item remains behind.
Everyday Single-Stream Recycling
DSWA uses a single-stream system. Normal accepted recyclables can be placed together instead of being sorted into separate paper, plastic, glass and metal categories.
| Material | Official Examples | Useful Preparation |
|---|---|---|
| Newspaper / paper bags | Newspapers and brown paper bags | Keep clean and dry. |
| Magazines / catalogs | Magazines and catalogs | Place with normal single-stream recycling. |
| Soft-cover books | Telephone and soft-cover books | Keep free of unrelated trash. |
| Mail / office paper | Junk mail, envelopes and paper | Keep dry. |
| Paperboard | Cereal and tissue boxes | Flatten where practical. |
| Cardboard | Corrugated cardboard | Break down large boxes. |
| Plastic bottles | Narrow-neck bottles, milk jugs, detergent, bleach and shampoo bottles | Empty before recycling. |
| Glass | Glass bottles and jars of any color | Use bottles and jars, not ceramics or random flat glass. |
| Metal cans | Tin, steel and aluminum cans | Empty before recycling. |
Single-stream does not mean every household item belongs in the bin
Trash, chemicals, electronics, food waste, construction debris and other special items should not be placed into ordinary single-stream containers merely because they contain a recyclable material.
Styrofoam Recycling
Delaware Recycling Center has a dedicated Styrofoam collection container. The current facility information lists Styrofoam hours as Monday–Friday 8:30 AM–3:00 PM and Saturday 8:30 AM–2:00 PM.
Accepted examples
- Clean foam cups
- Clean foam plates
- Foam egg cartons
- Clean takeout containers
- Protective foam packaging
Keep foam clean
Food residue and mixed trash can make foam unsuitable for the program. Keep Styrofoam separate from single-stream recycling.
Used Motor Oil, Oil Filters and Batteries
DSWA’s recycling-center program includes used motor oil, used oil filters and household battery recycling programs. These materials should be kept separate from everyday recycling.
Used motor oil
Transport oil in a sealed container and avoid mixing it with antifreeze, fuel, solvents or water.
Used oil filters
Keep filters separate from ordinary metal containers and follow the marked collection area.
Batteries
Keep batteries separate and protect exposed terminals where appropriate to reduce short-circuit risk.
Electronics, HHW, Shredding and Latex Paint Schedule
| Program | Facility Listing | Important Note |
|---|---|---|
| Electronics | Mon–Fri 8:30 AM–3:30 PM; Sat 8:30 AM–2:00 PM | Separate electronics from ordinary recycling. |
| Household Hazardous Waste | Every Saturday, 8:30 AM–2:00 PM | Specific event descriptions can contain inconsistent subtext; verify unusual loads. |
| Document Shredding | 1st Saturday of each month, 8:30 AM–2:00 PM | 2026 DSWA event listings confirm Saturday shredding dates. |
| Latex Paint | Last Saturday of each month | Facility summary lists 8:30 AM–2:00 PM; some specific events show 10:00 AM–2:00 PM. Verify the event date. |
Why special-event verification matters
DSWA’s general Delaware Recycling Center page and some individual event descriptions are not perfectly consistent about every start time. For a normal recycling trip, use the standard facility schedule. For shredding, HHW or paint, check the actual DSWA event entry for your date before driving.
Electronics Recycling
Electronics recycling is available during the listed recycling-center hours: Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM and Saturday from 8:30 AM to 2:00 PM.
DSWA gives examples including computers and laptops, TVs and monitors, printers, telephones, gaming systems and other accepted electronic devices.
Protect your personal data first
Back up information you need, sign out of accounts, remove removable storage when appropriate, and erase personal data from computers, phones or other data-bearing devices before recycling them.
Related guide: Electronic Recycling Center Guide.
Household Hazardous Waste Collection
DSWA’s Delaware Recycling Center schedule lists household hazardous waste every Saturday, with the facility summary showing an 8:30 AM–2:00 PM collection window.
DSWA examples include oil-based paint, household chemicals, fluorescent bulbs, cleaning products and similar qualifying household hazardous materials.
Do not mix chemicals together
Keep products in their original containers when possible, secure lids, keep containers upright and separated during transportation, and call before moving a leaking, unidentified or unusually large hazardous load.
Related guide: Household Hazardous Waste Recycling Center .
Document Shredding
DSWA’s dedicated Delaware Recycling Center schedule lists confidential paper shredding on the first Saturday of each month from 8:30 AM to 2:00 PM. DSWA’s 2026 event calendar also shows first-Saturday shredding events at the New Castle facility.
Event guidance has listed up to two file boxes per person of personal confidential papers such as financial documents, legal records, receipts and tax documents.
Shredding is not an everyday drop-off service
Do not bring confidential papers on a random weekday expecting secure destruction. Confirm the monthly event date first.
Latex Paint Collection
The facility-specific recycling-center page lists latex paint on the last Saturday of each month. Its facility summary gives an 8:30 AM–2:00 PM window.
However, specific 2026 DSWA event entries have shown latex-paint collection from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Because the official sources conflict on the start time, verify the event-calendar listing for the particular Saturday you plan to visit.
Latex paint and oil-based paint are not the same disposal stream. Oil-based paint is generally treated as household hazardous waste rather than ordinary latex-paint recycling.
Construction and Demolition Recycling
The Delaware Recycling Center campus also includes a separate construction-and-demolition recycling operation run by Revolution Recovery.
DSWA lists examples such as wood, drywall, metal and carpet. Revolution Recovery charges a tipping fee, so this should not be confused with free standard household recycling.
Call before bringing a C&D load
DSWA advises contacting Revolution Recovery at 302-356-3000 before visiting to confirm payment arrangements, load eligibility and current operating requirements.
Items That May Need Another DSWA Route
| Material or Situation | Why This Route May Be Wrong | What to Do |
|---|---|---|
| Regular household garbage | The New Castle recycling drop-off is not a general household-trash container. | Use the appropriate DSWA collection station, transfer station or landfill. |
| Construction debris | It uses the separate Revolution Recovery C&D operation. | Call 302-356-3000 first. |
| Out-of-state material | DSWA does not accept material generated outside Delaware. | Use the responsible waste system where the material was generated. |
| Hazardous household chemicals | They are not everyday single-stream recyclables. | Use the Saturday HHW program and verify eligibility. |
| Confidential records | Secure shredding is scheduled monthly. | Use the first-Saturday shredding event. |
| Latex paint | Paint has a scheduled monthly collection. | Check the last-Saturday event time before driving. |
Other DSWA Recycling Centers
Delaware Recycling Center may not be the closest DSWA facility for every resident. Special-collection weekdays differ between locations, so never assume another site follows the New Castle Saturday schedule.
Newark Recycling Center
470 Corporate Boulevard, Newark. It offers standard recycling and special collections, but its HHW, shredding and latex-paint schedule differs from New Castle.
Cheswold
The Cheswold facility serves central Delaware with recycling and scheduled special services. Verify its current Friday-based special-collection schedule.
Southern Recycling Center
Southern Delaware residents may be closer to the DSWA Jones Crossroads/Georgetown area. Special collections there use different weekdays.
Final Before-You-Go Checklist
Confirm New Castle is the correct facility
Use 1101 Lambson Lane only if the Delaware Recycling Center is the right DSWA route for your material.
Use resident recycling hours
Normal drop-off begins at 8:30 AM rather than at the campus’s earlier facility opening.
Secure the vehicle load
Keep materials contained so they cannot blow, leak or fall from the vehicle.
Separate special materials
Electronics, foam, batteries, oil, HHW, paint and confidential papers should not be mixed into ordinary single-stream recycling.
Verify special-event timing
Check the actual DSWA calendar entry for HHW, shredding or latex paint when timing matters.
Prepare to unload
Arrive able to unload your own material and follow site signage and employee instructions.
Keep out-of-state material away
DSWA facilities accept Delaware-generated material, not waste generated outside the state.
Call when the item is unclear
DSWA’s Citizens’ Response Line is 1-800-404-7080.
Map and Directions
Navigate to 1101 Lambson Lane, New Castle, DE 19720. Use the map for directions, but use DSWA’s own pages for operating hours, eligibility, event schedules and material rules.
Related Recycling Help
Electronics
Prepare computers, televisions and other devices before taking them to an e-waste collection area.
Household hazardous waste
Chemical products require safer transport and dedicated collection rather than normal recycling.
Cardboard
Flattening large clean boxes reduces container space and makes unloading easier.
Frequently Asked Questions About Delaware Recycling Center
Where is Delaware Recycling Center?
The DSWA Delaware Recycling Center is at 1101 Lambson Lane, New Castle, Delaware 19720.
What are Delaware Recycling Center hours?
Resident recycling-center hours are currently Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM and Saturday from 8:30 AM to 2:00 PM.
Is Delaware Recycling Center open Sunday?
DSWA does not list Sunday as a regular public recycling drop-off day at the Delaware Recycling Center.
Is standard recycling free?
Yes. DSWA states that its standard recycling-center services are free for Delaware residents. Paid rules can apply to other services such as construction-and-demolition recycling.
Can out-of-state residents bring material?
DSWA says its facilities accept materials generated within Delaware only. Out-of-state material is not accepted.
Does Delaware Recycling Center accept electronics?
Yes. Electronics are listed Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM and Saturday from 8:30 AM to 2:00 PM.
When is household hazardous waste accepted?
The facility schedule lists HHW every Saturday. Check the current DSWA event entry if you need the exact event timing for a specific date.
When is paper shredding available?
DSWA’s Delaware Recycling Center page lists document shredding on the first Saturday of each month from 8:30 AM to 2:00 PM.
When is latex paint collected?
Latex paint is listed for the last Saturday of each month. The facility summary shows 8:30 AM–2:00 PM, while some individual 2026 event listings show 10:00 AM–2:00 PM, so verify the event calendar before driving.
Can I recycle Styrofoam?
Yes. The Delaware Recycling Center has a special clean-Styrofoam container. Published Styrofoam hours are Monday–Friday 8:30 AM–3:00 PM and Saturday 8:30 AM–2:00 PM.
Official Sources and Verification
This guide is based on current Delaware Solid Waste Authority facility and event information. DSWA should control over map listings, older directories or saved copies of this article when operating details conflict.
- Delaware Solid Waste Authority — Recycling Centers
- DSWA — Delaware Recycling Center Facility Page
- DSWA — Collection Event Calendar
- DSWA — Facility Directory
Delaware Solid Waste Authority
Administrative address:
601 Energy Lane
Dover, DE 19901
Main office:
302-739-5361
Citizens’ Response Line:
1-800-404-7080
Email:
info@dswa.com
Revolution Recovery: 302-356-3000 for construction-and-demolition recycling questions and payment arrangements.