Visit Our Missoula Recycling Center
The Missoula Recycling Center has been serving the Missoula Valley since 1971. Our facility processes over 13 million pounds of materials per year, diverting precious resources from our local landfill. We accept basic recyclable materials at our free 24-hour drop-off location and we also
Plan your visit
Free drop-off is available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.
Where to find us
3207 W. Broadway St.
Missoula, MT 59808
Call us: 406-721-1120
Hours of operation (staffed)
Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 3:30 pm
Saturday 8:00 am - 12:00 pm (noon)
Free 24/7 drop-off is available. Self-sort your empty, clean, and dry materials in our recycling drop-off zone.
Video: Learn what we do at the Missoula Recycling Center
The 76,000-square-foot facility is located on almost 2 acres of land and processes materials from eight counties throughout western Montana. The Missoula Recycling Center services greater Missoula as well as Hamilton, Ronan, White Fish, Polson, and Superior.
Watch this short video to learn and to help you know what to throw.
Recycling buy-back program
We buy back certain non-ferrous metals during our staffed operating hours. We pay by the pound and prices fluctuate due to markets. Accepted materials include:
- Aluminum beverage cans
- Scrap aluminum
- Starters and alternators
- Copper #1 and #2
- Red brass
- Yellow brass
- Lead
- Automotive radiators
- Automotive batteries
Please call the Missoula Recycling Center at 406-721-1120 for a complete list of buy-back program items and pricing as it is updated weekly.
All-In-One curbside recycling
The Missoula Recycling Center processes the materials collected in Republic Services’ All-In-One recycling program. This program allows you to recycle additional materials above and beyond the materials that we accept at our drop-off center, including junk mail, catalogs, colored # 2 plastics, and #5 plastic tubs.
Find recycling products and services near you.
What can and can't be recycled in Missoula? Take the quiz!
Participate in our interactive Kahoot! online recycling quiz to learn more about local recycling guidelines.
Recycling Roadblock: Contamination
On average, recycling contamination levels are at 30% which means the separation of clean recyclables from contaminated material is more important than ever.
Recycling contamination occurs when we put something into a recycling bin that does not belong there. If a batch of recyclable materials has too much garbage or contamination, it cannot be recycled and it will end up at the landfill. Recycling contamination is one of the biggest challenges to the recycling industry. It increases labor costs and processing time while decreasing the value of recyclable materials. Please do your part to keep Missoula’s recycling programs viable by using the following guidelines:
Know what to throw.
The recycling process relies on you to properly sort your materials. Take the time to review the recycling guidelines for whichever program you use, whether it’s our free drop-off at the Recycling Center or our All-In-One curbside program.
Empty. Clean. Dry.™
Items must be clean and free of liquids so that they don’t contaminate other materials in the recycling bin. How clean is clean? Give it the “yuck” test- if you touch the item and say “yuck!” and want to wipe or wash your hand, then it’s not clean and it needs to be washed.
Don't bag it.
Plastic bags of any kind should never, ever go in a recycling bin. The reason why is that plastic bags get tangled up and stuck in the machines that sort recyclables. Always put your recyclable items loose inside the bins.
When in doubt, throw it out.
We would way rather you create a small bin full of materials that actually can be recycled rather than a large bin full of contamination and trash. If you are unsure what to do with something, throw it out.
What to do before you put your recyclables in the bin
Watch this short video to learn how to prepare your recyclable items to go into the recycling container. It’s as simple as 1-2-3!
Missoula's dirty dozen
Below are some of the most common contaminants we see at the Missoula Recycling Center.
Never place these items in your recycling container. They cannot be recycled with your household waste.
- Bubble wrap
- Batteries
- Food
- Glass
- Greasy pizza boxes
- Milk & juice cartons
- Plastic bags
- Plastic film
- Plastic utensils
- Polystyrene (Styrofoam®)
- Soiled paper
- Tinfoil
SPECIALTY RECYCLABLES
Certain items can’t be recycled through our regular curbside service. But we have simple solutions for recycling these specialty items.
Virtual tours start now
Take your students on a virtual field trip of how a recycling center and a modern landfill works. These videos are designed to inform specific lessons in 3rd-5th grade, 6th-8th grade, and 9th-12th grade, but can also be used outside of those lessons to take your students on a journey through the process!
Recycling center video tour
3rd - 5th grade video is featured below
Modern landfill video tour
3rd - 5th grade video is featured below
Additional resources for educators and at-home learning
Lessons & activities for educators, by educators
- Carefully aligned to grade-level curriculum standards
- Provided to you 100% free of charge
- Written and vetted by real teachers
- Lessons designed to fit within a typical class period
- Lessons can be used individually or as a unit
- Easy for teachers to implement, engaging for students
Engaging at-home activities about recycling
- Engaging activities for learning at home
- Developed by teachers, vetted by parents
- Empowers the entire family to make a difference by recycling
- Flexible and easy – complete any time, in any order
- Easily access on any device
- Printer optional
Missoula recycling FAQs
Q: Why don't you accept glass?
A: Republic Services does not accept glass in Missoula because there is no glass recycling facility nearby. The closest glass recycling facility is in Salt Lake City and our previous attempts at glass recycling have shown that it is not economically or logistically feasible to ship glass that far.
Q: Where does our recycling go?
A: Our bales of recycled materials are shipped to various buyers in a wide range of locations throughout the U.S. and Canada. We currently send materials to Washington, California, British Columbia, Georgia and Kentucky.
Q: What should I do with bottle caps?
A: Bottle caps and lids of any kind should always go in the garbage. The reason why we can’t take lids is that lids can get stuck in the machines that sort recycling, causing the machines to break.
Q: What should I do with my electronic waste (e-waste)?
A: We do not currently accept electronic waste at our Missoula Recycling Center, but we do offer mail-back recycling kits and pick-ups for businesses with large quantities of e-waste.
