Deschutes County recycling rules updated: what to stop tossing in the trash

Published 1:20 pm Tuesday, July 29, 2025

Pizza boxes, frying pans, juice cartons: What’s in and out of your recycling bin

Technology upgrades at recycling facilities now permit more items to be placed in the blue recycling roll cart used by residential waste collection customers.

Deschutes County residents are now permitted to recycle food and beverage cartons, pizza boxes and small scrap metal (less than 10 pounds) in their curbside carts.

A release from the Deschutes County Solid Waste Department says residents should look out for new information from their waste service provider, but everyone can expect immediate changes. These include:

• Pizza boxes can have grease on the bottom but food residue (cheese, toppings, crust) must be removed.

• Scrap metal can include frying pans, even if the handle is made from materials other than metal.

• Liquid containers can include those that hold juice, milk or broth.

County residents should note that shredded paper is no longer allowed in the blue roll cart — most of it typically ends up on the floor of the recycling center. Shredded paper is still accepted at Deschutes Recycling  at Knott Landfill in Bend, and at any Deschutes County transfer station.

The county also reminds residents that frozen or refrigerated food boxes (boxes that contain frozen waffles, microwave meals, butter, pizza etc.) cannot be recycled and must go in the trash. This packaging contains layers of plastic that cannot easily be separated from the cardboard. While frozen food boxes and liquid containers both appear waxy, their composition differs enough that one can be recycled while the other cannot.

For a full list of items that can go in the blue barrel, see the county solid waste website.

Items that cannot be accepted include:
• Plastic bags
• Foam and styrofoam
• Bottle and tub lids
• Clamshell and bakery containers
• Paper cups, plates, towels and napkins
• Pet food bags
• Snack food bags

Signage announcing new items that can be recycled in Bend using the commingling container, such as pizza boxes, milk cartons and metal cooking pots. 07/28/25 (Dean Guernsey/The Bulletin)