Global View
A major scrap yard sits on West St. on the Southside of Indianapolis; piles of scrap metal can be seen from West St. or Raymond St. Most of this metal is sent to steel mills or foundries for melting back into steel or aluminum. (Photo: C. Thomas.)
Many people don't recycle or improperly dispose of waste because they don't know how to. Below I list some basic information on how to recycle or dispose of materials within Indianapolis. On campus, IUPUI has a recycling coordinator to manage efforts on campus. Earth911.com offers a website to help you find local recycling centers for most of your waste. (The links on this page are not required reading but are provided for your convenience.)
Paper. Abitibi Industries has placed their bright yellow and green paper recycling dumpsters EVERYWHERE. Most school buildings, public buildings, and some shopping centers (Kroger and Sam's Club are participants) have Abitibi Paper Recycling dumpsters. Search their website for Central Indiana locations. Sales of the recycled material benefits schools, churches, or organizations that maintain the dumpster.
Glass, Plastic, Aluminum. Each city has a solid waste management office. They will set your household up for pick up recycling, or tell you where recycling dump stations are located. In Marion County, most Krogers have these recycling centers. Surrounding cities have different locations. IDEM has created an interactive map of statewide recycling programs.
Motor Oil. Jiffy Lube takes up to five gallons of waste oil for free. Other drop sites also exist.
Toxic Wastes (Batteries, Appliances, chemicals). Every county has a Solid Waste Management District (SWMD) which is responsible for managing hazardous waste. Call your SWMD and they will tell you where to take your hazardous waste. Most drop-off sites are free. Check out your county’s waste management site for specific information.
- Boone County
- Hancock County
- Hamilton County
- Johnson County
- Madison and Delaware County
- Marion County (Indianapolis)
- Morgan, Monroe, Hendricks County
- Shelby County (317) 392-1394
Other goods (clothing, appliances, technology, etc.).Many of the items we throw away could be used by someone else. Websites like Freecycle.com, Ebay, and Craigslist allow you to market your used goods and sell them to someone that needs them. Local Goodwill stores, women's shelters, missions and churches often take in gently used items for their own causes.
