Can that be recycled in Wichita? Here’s what can go curbside and where to take the rest

Lindsay Smith
·4 min read

There are many ways to be more environmental friendly, and one of the easiest is to recycle eligible household items instead of throwing everything in the trash.

Nationally, the rate of recycling in the U.S. went from less than 7% in 1960 to more than 30% in the last decade, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

If you’re wondering what items you can recycle in Wichita and Sedgwick County, we’ve rounded up some things to know.

What you can recycle in Sedgwick County

If you’re planning on recycling in a curbside bin, it’s important to know what you can and can’t get picked up from your home.

Here are some items that can be put in a curbside bin, according to Sedgwick County’s recycling guide:

  • Cardboard

  • Newspaper

  • Magazines

  • Mail

  • Phone books

  • Plastic containers

  • Steel cans

  • Aluminum cans

  • Clean aluminum foil

  • Glass containers

  • Paperboard Cans

The most common mistake recyclers make is not cleaning items out beforehand, according to Cindy Le, the county’s environmental project manager.

There are some additional common households items that can be recycled in the county, but can’t be picked up in your curbside bin. Here are some of those items:

  • Batteries

  • Books

  • Catalogs

  • Cell phones

  • Clothes hangers

  • Computers

  • Eyeglasses

  • Furniture

  • Televisions

For a full list of items that can (and can’t) be recycled in the area, Le said she likes to use Pro Kansas Recycling’s list as a rough guide, but you can always check with your drop-off location to be sure a material is accepted there.

How can I get recycling picked up from my house?

The city of Wichita and Sedgwick County have several haulers available to pick up recycling, each with their own pricing.

What hauler you use depends on where you live. Here are the haulers in Wichita, according to the city’s website:

  • Air Capital Waste/Waste Link Inc., 5720 N Broadway, 316-838-5465

  • Allen & Sons Waste Services, 4521 S Broadway, 316-558-8050

  • Ballinger Trash Service, 405 N Baehr, 316-943-7910

  • Best Value Services LLC, 200 W Douglas Suite 608, 316-440-1048

  • Moran Trash Service, 2847 N Arkansas, 316-831-0047

  • MT McCray Sanitation, 708 E 18th St. N, 316-687-6479

  • Waste Connections Inc., 2745 N Ohio, 316-838-4920

  • Waste Management, 4330 W 31st St. S, 316-847-7109

To see the rates of all of the haulers, you can view Wichita’s database online. The database’s information is reported by customers and isn’t constantly updated, so the information may be incomplete.

Where can I drop off my recycling in Wichita?

If you don’t have your own recycling bin and still want to recycle, the county has various drop-off locations you can choose from. Some also take recyclable materials that cannot be put in your curbside bin.

Pro Kansas Recycling, located at 725 E. Clark, takes various materials, which can be seen online using its guide. It is open Tuesday and Thursday from 1 to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Here are other specific drop-off locations, from the county’s recycling guide:

Plastic bags: All Dillons and Walmart locations serve as a drop-off location. You can also drop off bags at Miller Recycling Center at 725 E. Clark.

Plastics: Drop off your items at Miller Recycling Center.

Paper items: You have three drop-off locations to choose from for paper products. International Paper Recycling Division at 4300 W. 29th St., Pratt Industries at 805 E. Murdock Building B or Miller Recycling Center.

Glass: Drop off your items at Miller Recycling Center.

Batteries: There are more than a dozen drop-off locations to recycle batteries, including all AutoZone shops in Wichita, all Lowe’s locations, O’Reilly Auto Parts locations and more. You can see the full list on the county’s recycling guide.

Household hazardous materials: Drop off your items at the Sedgwick County Hazardous Waste Facility, located at 801 Stillwell St.

You can donate clothing to thrift shops, use unused clothing as rags or look for charities who are looking for clothing donations.

Using the county’s recycling guide, you can click on the item you’re looking to recycle and the site will direct you to the correct drop-off location.