Skip to main content
  • City of PORTSMOUTH NH
  • Department of Public Works
  • Solid Waste & Recycling
A A A
Solid Waste & Recycling
  • About Back Copy Created with Sketch.
    • Curbside Collection Resources
    • Household Hazardous Waste Day
    • Recycling Center
    • Yard Waste
  • Collection Schedule
  • Resources Back Copy Created with Sketch.
    • Food Waste Composting
    • How do I dispose of...?
    • Shredded Paper Instructions
    • Trash and Recycling Collection Map
    • Waste Disposal, Paper Recycling and Identity Theft
    • Waste Management: Recycle Often. Recycle Right.
  • City of Portsmouth
  • Public Works Home
  • Solid Waste & Recycling
  • Recycling Information

Recycling Information

Portsmouth Mixed Recycling

 

Curbside

Content

♻️ Curbside Recycling in Portsmouth

Portsmouth makes recycling easy with single stream recycling — no sorting needed! Just place all approved recyclables clean and loose in your recycling bin each week.

✅ What You CAN Recycle Curbside

Make sure all items are empty, dry, and loose (not in bags). Recyclables include:

Metals & Cans

  • Aluminum cans
  • Steel & tin cans
  • Empty aerosol cans (remove plastic caps)

Plastics

  • #1 PET bottles (with screw tops; put caps back on)
  • #2 HDPE bottles (milk jugs, detergent, shampoo, etc.)
  • #3–#7 plastics (no foam or polystyrene)

Glass

  • Food & beverage containers in clear, green, or brown

Paper & Cardboard

  • Newspapers & mail
  • Magazines, glossy inserts, pamphlets
  • Office paper, printing paper
  • Uncoated paperboard (cereal/snack boxes)
  • Corrugated cardboard (flatten it!)
  • Phone books

🟦 Remember: All recyclables must be at least 4 inches in size. Smaller items fall through sorting equipment and can’t be processed.

🚫 What NOT to Recycle Curbside

Plastics & Packaging

  • Plastic bags or bagged recyclables
  • Flexible packaging (chip bags, pouches)
  • Polystyrene (foam cups, take-out containers)
  • Soiled pizza boxes (tear off clean parts to recycle)

Glass & Ceramics

  • Mirrors
  • Window glass, auto glass
  • Cookware, bakeware
  • Light bulbs

Household Items

  • Clothes, bedding, fabrics
  • Hoses, cords, wires
  • Coat hangers
  • Household appliances, electronics
  • Yard waste, wood, construction debris
  • Large furniture, auto parts, tires

Hazardous or Contaminated Waste

  • Food or liquids in containers
  • Diapers, pet waste
  • Soiled or wet paper
  • Medical waste (needles, IV bags, etc.)
  • Batteries, propane tanks
  • Anything contaminated or made of mixed materials

🔗 Find out where to recycle plastic bags: plasticfilmrecycling.org

 

 

2016 Recovery Rate Analysis

Yard Waste

Content
  • Place yard waste in paper bags or barrels clearly marked "yard waste". Each bag must weigh under 50 lbs.
  • Brush? Bundle with string/twine:
  • Max 4 ft long
  • 1 ft diameter
  • Stems no thicker than 5 inches
  • 🔗 More yard waste info
Content

🛋️ Bulky Waste Pickup

Large household items? Visit our Bulky Waste Collection page for curbside pickup details.

 

Content

🧪 Specialty Recycling – Drop-Off Only

Drop these items off at the Portsmouth Recycling Center – no curbside collection:

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

🔗 More on the Recycling Center

Content

☣️ Household Hazardous Waste

Twice a year, Public Works hosts Household Hazardous Waste Collection Days.

Accepted materials include:

  • Paints, stains, varnishes

  • Cleaners, degreasers, drain openers

  • Pesticides, insecticides, poisons

  • Pool chemicals, adhesives

  • Automotive fluids (oil, antifreeze, transmission/brake fluids)

  • Solvents, glues, hobby chemicals

📍 For details on events and accepted materials, click here.


🚐 Other Waste

RV Waste Dumping
Visit Pease Treatment Plant
📞 (603) 427-1553

  • City of PORTSMOUTH Home >
  • Department of Public Works >
City of Portsmouth Seal

Solid Waste & Recycling

Recycling Center
680 Peverly Hill Road, Portsmouth NH 03801
Hours

Tuesday – 7:45 AM – 3:15 PM

Wednesday – 7:45 AM – 3:15 PM

Thursday – 7:45 AM – 3:15 PM

Saturday – 8:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Phone
(603) 427-1530

Public Works Operations

  • Roads & Sidewalks
  • Grounds Maintenance
  • Wastewater & Sewer
  • Water
  • Park Portsmouth
  • Transportation
  • Stormwater
  • Geographic Information Systems
  • Solid Waste & Recycling
City of Portsmouth Seal

© 2024 - City of Portsmouth. All Rights Reserved. | Terms of Use