Chattanooga Recycling Center: Hours, Locations & Accepted Items

Accepted Materials at Chattanooga Recycle Centers

The City’s current normal drop-off list is narrower than many people expect.

Items Not Accepted in Normal Chattanooga Recycling

Glass Recycling in Chattanooga: Drop-Off vs Curbside Pilot

Glass is one of the easiest Chattanooga recycling rules to misunderstand.

Separate curbside glass pilot

Beginning in 2025 Chattanooga launched a dedicated curbside glass pilot with Overlooked Materials. The City renewed that pilot for another year beginning July 1, 2026.

The pilot serves selected areas including Belvoir, Brainerd, Brainerd Hills, Missionary Ridge, Ridgedale and Highland Park. Enrolled residents receive dedicated instructions and containers.

Chattanooga Plastics #1–#7 and the Hefty ReNew Program

The normal City recycling rule remains simple: #1 and #2 plastic containers are accepted in the standard recycling stream when properly prepared.

Plastics #3–#7 should not simply be thrown loose into normal recycling. Chattanooga also participates in the separate Hefty ReNew orange-bag program for qualifying hard-to-recycle plastics.

Food-Scrap Compost Kiosks at All Five Recycling Centers

Chattanooga now offers free food-scrap compost drop-off to City residents through NewTerra kiosks, including kiosks at all five City recycling centers.

How it works

1. Register with NewTerra. Participation is voluntary and requires enrollment.
2. Wait for program instructions. NewTerra provides education and participation details.
3. Use a dedicated compost kiosk. Do not put food scraps into general recycling bins.
4. Residential use only. Businesses are not eligible for the City-supported kiosk program.

Chattanooga Curbside Recycling vs Drop-Off Centers

The City provides biweekly curbside recycling to eligible households and businesses. Recycle containers are listed as free of charge.

Important curbside rules

• Place the cart curbside by 7:00 AM to ensure service.
• Do not place recycling on the ground or on top of the cart.
• The lid must close completely.
• Do not overfill the cart.
• Do not bag normal recyclables.
• Break down cardboard boxes.
• Remove food residue before recycling.
• Residential locations may have up to two recycling containers.
• Businesses are allowed one recycling container under the current City guidance.
• Sign up online or call 311 / 423-643-6311.

Computer Electronics, TVs and Other Electronics

Chattanooga’s normal City recycle-center list accepts computer electronics, but it specifically excludes televisions and non-computer electronics such as DVD players and VCRs.

Before surrendering a computer

1. Back up files you need.
2. Sign out of important accounts.
3. Remove SIM cards, SD cards and removable storage.
4. Factory reset or wipe storage when appropriate.
5. Do not assume a normal drop-off service automatically performs certified data destruction.

For device-specific preparation, see the electronic recycling center guide.

Chattanooga Household Hazardous Waste Facility

Paint thinner, pesticides, gasoline, motor oil, batteries, fluorescent lamps and similar hazardous materials should not be left at a normal recycle center.

Eligibility and quantity rules

• The program serves residential hazardous waste.
• A state-issued driver’s license showing Tennessee residency is required.
• Commercial hazardous waste is not accepted.
• Maximum drop-off is 15 gallons or 150 pounds per household.
• Staff may refuse unidentifiable material.

Examples accepted

Not accepted

• Latex/acrylic paint
• Ammunition
• Explosives
• Radioactive waste
• Medical waste
• Biological waste
• Unidentifiable waste
• Non-computer electronics
• Commercial hazardous waste

Transport hazardous material safely

• Keep products sealed in original containers when possible.
• Store and transport containers upright.
• Keep chemicals away from children, pets, food and heat sources.
• Secure containers so they cannot tip.
• For a leaking container, the City advises placing it in a sturdy sealed outer container of no more than five gallons with absorbent material such as cat litter or crumpled newspaper.
• The City recommends transporting material in the vehicle trunk where possible.

Wood Recycling Center: Brush, Leaves, Natural Wood and Free Mulch

Accepted

• Raw natural wood
• Brush
• Leaves

Not accepted

• Treated lumber
• Pallets
• Glued wood
• Root balls and stumps
• Wood with nails
• Dirt and rocks
• Paneling and plywood
• Trash
• Painted wood
• Railroad ties
• Material longer than 10 feet
• Material larger than 5 feet in diameter

Fees

City of Chattanooga residents may dispose of accepted wood waste at no charge when using a standard-size pickup or single-axle trailer. Non-city residents, businesses and contractors are currently listed at $20 per ton.

Payment methods listed for paid users are check, credit card and money order. The facility states no cash or coin.

Free mulch for City residents

City residents can receive mulch at no charge with a valid driver’s license. Crews load mulch into qualifying trucks or trailers, and the load must be covered before leaving.

Refuse Collection Centers for Mattresses, Furniture, Appliances and Bulky Trash

Do not use a recycle center for bulky household trash. Chattanooga operates three separate refuse centers for eligible City residents.

Eligibility and load limits

• City of Chattanooga residents only.
• Up to 12 disposal visits per calendar year.
• Driver needs a valid driver’s license showing City residency; new residents may need a utility bill.
• Valid Hamilton County vehicle tags are required.
• No commercial tags.
• No contractors, businesses or landlords.
• No tandem-axle trailers, dump bodies or trucks larger than a standard pickup.
• Load cannot exceed a standard pickup-truck bed.
• Residents are limited to eight bags per visit.

Examples accepted

Appliances, mattresses, BBQ grills, microwaves, clothes, metal, furniture, toys, landscape timbers, vinyl, lumber, up to one truckload of drywall and up to four automobile tires.

Examples not accepted

Hazardous materials, batteries, gasoline/oil, paint thinner, propane tanks, compressed gas tanks, computer electronics, brush/leaves, grass clippings, concrete, brick/block, dirt/rock, roofing, insulation, pallets, railroad ties, Styrofoam, household garbage, liquids and several other unsafe or unsuitable materials.

Brush and Bulky Trash Curbside Collection

Eligible City residents may not need to self-haul brush or bulky items. Chattanooga uses rotating brush and bulky-trash collection areas.

Brush preparation rules

• Put brush, bulk trash, bagged yard waste and leaves in separate piles.
• Have material curbside by 7:00 AM Monday of the assigned collection week.
• Natural wood only for brush collection.
• Wood may not exceed 8 feet long, 18 inches in diameter or 4 feet high.
• Keep piles at least 5 feet from cars, mailboxes and other objects.
• Do not block streets, sidewalks, drainage ditches or catch basins.
• No treated lumber, pallets, particleboard or cross-ties in brush.
• No land-clearing contractor material.
• Brush collection is limited to 12 collections at one property in a consecutive 12-month period.

Bulky pickup examples

City bulky-trash collection can accept items such as BBQ grills, mattresses, heavy appliances, furniture, carpet/padding, water heaters, large toys and TVs.

Hamilton County Recycling Centers Are a Separate Network

Chattanooga’s five City centers are not the only recycling facilities in Hamilton County. The County Recycling Department operates additional centers with different hours.

The County lists plastics, brown/green/clear glass, aluminum and mixed metals, mixed paper, corrugated cardboard, newspaper, computers/computer components and rechargeable batteries among accepted categories.

Used motor oil at County centers

Hamilton County specifically says used motor oil is accepted only at Standifer Gap, Hwy 58, Middle Valley and Sequoyah.

Hamilton County Tire Recovery Center

For tire-specific recycling, Hamilton County operates the Tire Recovery Center at 7609 Standifer Gap Road, Chattanooga, TN 37421.

When the City Landfill Is the Better Route

Chattanooga’s City Landfill is at 9327 Birchwood Pike, Harrison, Tennessee and is listed Monday–Friday from 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

City residents may dispose of qualifying household garbage originating from their primary residence at no charge when the load is no larger than a pickup truck. A current-address driver’s license or supporting utility bill is required.

Important limitations

• City residents cannot use the free household-garbage allowance for construction and demolition material.
• Bulky items such as appliances, furniture, clothing, pallets and metal should generally use other City routes.
• Loads on trucks must be tarped.
• Uncovered loads are not accepted.
• Batteries, gas tanks and flammable liquids are not accepted.

Published paid rates

The City lists check, credit card and money order as payment methods and says no cash or coin.

Where Chattanooga Recyclables Go After Drop-Off

The City says its recyclables are delivered to a Materials Recovery Facility for processing and identifies WestRock as the MRF.

After sorting and baling, materials are sent into different commodity markets. Chattanooga currently identifies examples including:

• Steel: Gerdau
• Aluminum: Service Aluminum
• Paper and cardboard: WestRock facilities
• Glass from recycling centers: Strategic Materials in Atlanta
• #1/#2 plastics: processors including Mohawk Flooring and KW Plastics

Before-You-Go Chattanooga Recycling Checklist

1. Confirm the material first. Normal recycling, HHW, wood, bulky trash and tires use different facilities.
2. Check the day. City recycle centers are closed Mondays.
3. Check holiday status. Municipal holidays can override normal hours.
4. Choose the correct address. Chattanooga has five City recycle centers plus separate County centers.
5. Rinse #1/#2 food containers and steel cans.
6. Flatten cardboard and keep paper dry.
7. Do not bag ordinary recyclables.
8. Keep glass out of the normal curbside cart. Use drop-off or the dedicated glass pilot if enrolled.
9. Do not throw plastics #3–#7 loose into normal recycling. Check Hefty ReNew eligibility instead.
10. Remember Batters Place does not accept cooking oil.
11. Use HHW for oil-based paint, gasoline, chemicals, pesticides, batteries and fluorescent lamps.
12. Keep latex/acrylic paint out of the HHW facility.
13. Use Wood Recycling for natural wood, brush and leaves.
14. Use refuse centers for eligible mattresses, furniture and bulky household items.
15. Use the County Tire Recovery Center for tire-specific recycling and call first.
16. Protect data before recycling computers.
17. Call 311 or 423-643-6311 if an item does not clearly fit a published category.

Related Recycling Guides

Official Chattanooga and Hamilton County Sources

Use these official pages to recheck time-sensitive hours, holiday closures, fees, program eligibility and accepted materials before a special or large trip.