Moving or Decluttering? Don’t Trash It!
Spring is finally here in St. Louis and that means it’s prime moving and spring cleaning season! Have you accumulated items over the years you don’t want/need anymore? As you come and go from St. Louis and beyond, you can move lighter knowing your items didn’t end up in a landfill. We have places to recycle or donate mattresses, carpet, electronics and more! Remember to break down all cardboard boxes when you’re finished and ready to recycle them!
Mattresses
Home Sweet Home and The Salvation Army both accept reusable mattresses for donation in GOOD condition. Please call them to arrange a pick-up. Furniture and other household goods in good condition are also accepted!
Have a mattress that’s not in good condition? Earthbound Recycling in Eureka will recycle them for a small fee, but you must deliver them to their facility.
Please call them directly for hours of operation and disposal fees.
(636) 938-1188
Paint
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You can donate usable latex paint to St. Louis Artworks or Habitat for Humanity. If you’re selling your home, consider leaving the paint for the new owners to make touch-ups easier.
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Are your paint cans empty? You’re in luck! Recycle empty metal paint cans in your blue city dumpster or rollcart!
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Oil based paint is considered a hazardous material and must be taken to a Household Hazardous Waste facility. There are two locations open to residents of Saint Louis City: Saint Louis County and Jefferson County. Appointments are required. To make an appointment, City residents can call the Citizens’ Service Bureau at 314-622-4800 or visit www.hhwstl.com. For a complete accepted materials list, visit: www.hhwstl.com/disposal.
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Carpet/Rugs
Do you have carpet remnants or rugs you need? Don’t put them in your trash dumpster, take them to Flooring Systems, Inc for recycling! They are located at 6291 Lemay Ferry Rd. St. Louis, MO 63129.Electronics & Paper Shredding
Recycle all of your electronics (anything with a cord, plug or battery) at the Brightside/ Earth Circle Recycling Facility located at 1660 S. Kingshighway Blvd! Fees may apply. You can drop off paper for shredding here as well Monday-Friday, 8:30-3:30 for a $5 flat fee plus $0.15/lb.
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Books
Many book stores will buy back books that are in good condition. But if your books are past their prime, you can recycle them in your Blue Bin! Paperback books can be recycled as is. For hardback books, separate the hard cover from the paper and recycle both parts.
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Styrofoam
Styrofoam cups, plates and to-go containers are not recyclable. However, Foam Products Corporation in Maryland Heights accepts foam packing materials (but not foam peanuts) and medical shipping coolers for recycling. Also, Leftovers, etc accepts Styrofoam meat trays, balls and peanuts in addition to a slew of other items!
Clothing
There are a myriad of second-hand stores where you can donate reusable clothing, but what about rags and clothes with holes or paint stains? St. Louis is fortunate enough to have a textile recycler right here in the city! You can drop off non-mildewed clothing, linens, towels etc to any yellow Remains, Inc. collection box. There is one located at their site at 3340 Morganford. They also accept purses, paired shoes, hats, backpacks, belts and more!
Other
Have other items we haven’t mentioned here? Or looking for a more convenient location? We’ve got you covered! Check out our database for where to take items beyond your Blue Bin: STLCityRecycles.com/Database
16 Comments
Are plastic pots, cell packs, and trays from spring plantings recyclable in blue bins? I used to take them to Mobot, but heard I can use the blue bins. Just trying to make certain.
Yes you can recycle plastic pots that are smaller than 5 gallons in your blue bin! Cell packs and trays should still go to the MOBOT program: http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/gardening-in-st.-louis/plastic-pot-recycling.aspx
Great article! Most people don’t know that you can recycle an old rug during a move instead of dumbing it!
I have dirty carpets I would like to dispose of, where should I take them?
Hi, thanks for your question! Unfortunately we do not know of a place that will take dirty carpet for recycling in our area. We appreciate you trying to dispose of your items responsibly.
Hi Cailin, Flooring Systems Inc. is a place that can take carpets and carpet pads for recycling!
I need to dispose of a king sized matress. How do I do that?
Hello! Unfortunately, there aren’t any places in St. Louis that accept mattresses for recycling beyond the Blue Bin. If it’s still in good working condition, you can donate it to Home Sweet Home. If it’s not in good condition, you can set it out for bulk pickup, during your bulk pickup week. If you don’t know when that is, you can find out your schedule here. Thanks for recycling responsibly!
Is there a place I can recycle just the box spring? Thanks!
Hello, great question! If your item is still in usable condition, you can donate it for reuse to Home Sweet Home. If your item is not usable, you can set it out for bulk pickup during your bulk pickup week. You can find your schedule here.
I am redoing a home and will have carpeting, carpet pad and laminate flooring to dispose of. Any ideas?
Hello, Alexis! Great question. I searched our database and there are a few places you can contact to see if they accept these items for recycling, depending on their condition. For carpeting and carpet pads you can contact Flooring Systems, Inc.,. If the carpet is in good condition, it can be donated to Habitat for Humanity. As far as laminate flooring, we can’t locate a place on our Database, but you could ask the above companies if they take it. L.E.D.R. does construction and demolition recycling but this specific item isn’t listed on their website. I would suggest calling to ask. Thanks for recycling responsibly and keeping these big items out of the landfill!
Thank you for sharing this information about moving spring cleaning here’s where to recycle household goods. It was useful and interesting. You indeed have written it in a layman way so that anyone can understand and work accordingly. You have done a great job… Great post!!
How about mattress toppers for a full bed?
Hello Terry! If your mattress topper is in good condition, you can consider donating it to a local charity such as Home Sweet Home, Habitat for Humanity: ReStore, St. Vincent DePaul, etc. If your item is not able to be donated, you can recycle it at a textile recycler: Remains, Inc. As a last resort, you can place the item in the trash to be sent to the landfill. Thanks for checking in and recycling responsibly!
Great question! Mattress toppers, if they cannot be donated, should be placed in the trash.