Recycling and Disposal from A to Z
Not sure what to do with something you no longer need? Look it up below. Fredville does not recommend or endorse particular businesses; any company named here is listed only to help residents.
In this guide, "the regional HHW center" means the regional household hazardous waste collection center in Fort Worth, and "an HHW event" means one of the City's household hazardous waste collection events. Residents need a voucher from the Environmental Quality Department before using the regional center; details are on the household hazardous waste page.
A
Acetone (including nail polish remover): Take it to the regional HHW center or an HHW event.
Adhesives: Let them dry out completely, then put them in your regular trash.
Aerosol cans: Cans that are completely empty go in your curbside recycling cart. Cans that still hold product belong at the regional HHW center or an HHW event.
Ammunition and explosives: For safe disposal of any ammunition or explosive, call the Fredville Police Department's non-emergency number, (555) 010-5028.
Animal carcasses: The Fredville Landfill accepts animal remains for a fee; call (555) 010-8218 before you go. The City's Animal Services Department can also collect dead animals.
Appliances (air conditioners, washers, dryers, dishwashers, refrigerators, cooktops and similar items): Haul them to the Fredville Landfill, or set them out on your monthly bulky pickup day (see Bulky Waste).
Ashes: Let ashes cool completely and seal them in a plastic bag before they go in the trash. This keeps collection crews from getting hurt and protects your cart.
Automotive chemicals and fluids (antifreeze, brake and hydraulic fluid, carburetor cleaner, polish, starting fluid and similar products): Drop them off at the regional HHW center or an HHW event.
Automotive parts: Before disposal, rinse gas tanks three times and make them unusable. Parts with no gas or oil left in them can go in the trash or to the Fredville Landfill.
B
Baby gear (car seats, strollers, swings, bouncers, high chairs, diaper bags and similar items): Gear in good condition can be sold to a children's resale or consignment shop or donated to a charity thrift store. Broken or worn-out pieces can go in the trash or to the landfill.
Batteries (alkaline, rechargeable and vehicle): Alkaline batteries may go in the trash, although some rechargeable battery collection programs take them too. Many battery specialty, electronics, home improvement and office supply stores collect rechargeable batteries for recycling. Battery specialty stores accept car batteries, and some auto parts stores take them as well, sometimes in exchange for store credit; call first to confirm. A national rechargeable battery recycling program also lists drop-off sites. Every type of battery is accepted at the regional HHW center and at HHW events.
Books: Give small numbers of books to a school or library, or sell them to a used bookstore or another secondhand shop. Books too damaged to reuse can go in your curbside recycling cart.
C
Cans: Aluminum and steel (tin) cans belong in your curbside recycling cart.
Carbon paper: It cannot be recycled, so put it in the trash.
Cardboard (including grease-free pizza boxes, cereal boxes and drink cases): Flatten boxes and put them in your curbside recycling cart; if they are too big, set them beneath the cart at the curb. The City's recycling drop-off stations take cardboard too.
Carpet: Take it to the landfill, or recycle it through Second Loop Recycling, LLC, in Dallas, (555) 010-2425, or Loomfield Carpet Recycling in Vinewood, (555) 010-5455.
Caulk: Bring it to the regional HHW center or an HHW event.
Cell phones: Many phone carriers take back old phones for recycling, and some charities collect donated phones to support military service members.
Chemicals (acids, bases and similar): These go to the regional HHW center or an HHW event.
Christmas lights: Home improvement stores sometimes hold seasonal light recycling promotions. Some holiday lighting retailers also run mail-in recycling programs and use the proceeds to buy toys for children in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
Christmas trees: For two weeks after Christmas Day, the landfill recycles real trees at no charge once all ornaments, stands and bags have been removed. Artificial trees and flocked trees cannot be recycled. The trees are ground into mulch that any Fredville resident can pick up free at the landfill. A tree set out on your regular trash day will be picked up, but it is handled as garbage rather than recycled. See natural Christmas tree recycling.
Clothing: Wearable clothes can be sold to a clothing resale or consignment shop, or given to a charity thrift store (one regional nonprofit takes donations at (555) 010-2270), a church or another humanitarian group. Clothing too damaged to wear can go in the trash.
Construction and demolition debris: Take it to the Fredville Landfill. Commercial loads are charged $44 per ton. Residents who show proof of Fredville residency receive a set number of free loads each year, and each load after that costs $12. The landfill page explains what to bring.
Cooking oil and grease: Liquid oil goes to the regional HHW center or an HHW event. Oil that has been sealed in a container with an absorbent such as cat litter and allowed to harden can go in the trash.
D
Dry cement and concrete mix: Throw it in the trash.
Drywall: Haul it to the landfill along with your other construction and demolition debris.
E
Electronics (computers, TVs, cell phones and other devices): Several large online and electronics retailers offer trade-in or take-back programs. You can also recycle most devices through Byteback Computer Recycling in Dallas, (555) 010-2673; Metro Reclaimers in Stoneleigh, (555) 010-7446; or Circuit Renewal International in Fredville, (555) 010-3045. Devices that still work can sometimes be sold to a used electronics buyer or donated to a charity thrift store. The City holds electronics recycling events during the year, and the landfill accepts electronic waste whenever it is open. Learn more about recycling electronics.
Epoxy: Bring it to the regional HHW center or an HHW event.
F
Fertilizers: Drop them off at the regional HHW center or an HHW event.
Fire extinguishers: For disposal, call the Fredville Fire Department's non-emergency line, (555) 010-3557.
Flags: A statewide veterans' auxiliary organization accepts worn American, POW/MIA and Texas flags and retires them respectfully at an annual Flag Day ceremony. Local Scout troops can also retire flags that are no longer fit to fly.
Flares: To get rid of flares safely, call the Fredville Police Department's non-emergency line, (555) 010-5028.
Food and beverage containers: Glass bottles and jars, plastic bottles and containers with screw-on lids, and paper food packaging all belong in your curbside recycling cart. Empty and rinse each one, and let it dry if you can. Labels can stay on. Foam containers are not accepted curbside and should go in the trash.
Furniture: Take it to the landfill, or set it out on your monthly bulky pickup day. Furniture in good shape can be donated to a charity thrift store. See also bulky waste collection.
G
Glue: Take it to the regional HHW center or an HHW event.
H
Hazardous waste: All household hazardous waste should go to the regional HHW center or an HHW event.
Herbicides (weed and brush killers): Bring them to the regional HHW center or an HHW event.
Household chemicals (cleaners, solvents and similar): These belong at the regional HHW center or an HHW event.
I
Ink and toner cartridges: Manufacturers and retailers often take back used cartridges for recycling. If not, take them to the regional HHW center or an HHW event.
J
Joint compound: Put it in the trash.
L
Laundry products (detergent, fabric softener and similar): These may be poured down the drain one cup at a time, with the water running for a minute after each cup. Never pour different products down the drain together. They are also accepted at the regional HHW center and HHW events.
Lawn mowers: Drain all gas and oil first. Then take the mower to the landfill or set it out for curbside pickup. Some scrap metal dealers will also take old mowers.
License plates: Turn in old plates to the county treasurer's office for your county, (555) 010-3710 or (555) 010-7306, or to the local state Department of Public Safety office, (555) 010-5627, so they can be canceled and recorded as surrendered in state records. Plates cannot go in your curbside cart because they are made of a different aluminum alloy than the cans our program processes. The local state Department of Public Safety office is at 820 N Pemberley Rd, Fredville, TX 75999; call (555) 010-5627 for hours, fees and directions.
Light bulbs: Incandescent bulbs can go in the trash. Some home improvement stores collect fluorescent bulbs and tubes, and they are also accepted at the regional HHW center and HHW events.
Lighter fluid: Drop it off at the regional HHW center or an HHW event.
M
Medical air and oxygen tanks: Return them to the supplier or manufacturer you got them from.
Medical equipment (wheelchairs, walkers, crutches, hospital beds, bed rails, commodes, stair lifts, patient lifts, geriatric chairs, bath safety equipment and similar): Usable items can be donated to a charity thrift store.
Medications: The best option is the Fredville Police Department's medication disposal program. You can also mix medicines with trash, double-bag them and throw them away. Never flush or pour medications down the drain. Empty pill bottles can go in your curbside recycling cart.
Mercury (thermometers, switches and similar): Bring it to the regional HHW center or an HHW event.
Metals: Industrial metal can go to the landfill along with construction and demolition debris, or to a scrap metal recycler. Aluminum and steel cans belong in your curbside cart.
Motor oil: Many auto parts stores accept used motor oil for recycling; call ahead to confirm.
N
Newspapers: Recycle them in your curbside cart. Large amounts can go to one of the City's recycling drop-off stations.
P
Packing materials (bubble wrap, packing peanuts and similar): Bubble wrap can go in the trash, and some shipping stores accept it. Second Loop Recycling, (555) 010-2425, and some shipping stores recycle packing peanuts, and Green Crate Containers, (555) 010-2052, buys back certain gently used packing supplies. Call first.
Paint remover and paint thinner: Take them to the regional HHW center or an HHW event.
Paint: Latex and water-based acrylic paints can be thrown away once they have dried out. Speed up drying by stirring in cat litter or sawdust. Usable paint can also be donated to a nonprofit home-improvement resale store, which sells donated building materials at low prices to fund home-building projects.
Pesticides (insect killers and similar): Drop them off at the regional HHW center or an HHW event.
Plastics: Plastics stamped 1, 2 or 5 go in your curbside recycling cart. Plastic bags and film, such as grocery sacks and product wrap, can often be returned to grocery stores for recycling. Learn more about curbside recycling.
Pool chemicals: These go to the regional HHW center or an HHW event.
Propane tanks: Return empty or partly used tanks to a propane dealer or a tank exchange location. Small camping cylinders can be taken to the regional HHW center or an HHW event. Never put propane tanks in your trash or recycling cart.
R
Refrigerators and freezers: See Appliances.
S
Scrap metal: See Metals.
T
Tires: Many tire retailers take old tires, sometimes for a small fee, when you buy new ones. The Fredville Landfill also accepts tires for a per-tire fee; see the landfill page or call (555) 010-8218 for details. Tires cannot go in your trash or recycling cart.
U
Used oil filters: Let them drain completely, then take them to an auto parts store that accepts them, the regional HHW center or an HHW event.
W
Wood and lumber: Take it to the landfill with your other construction and demolition debris.
Y
Yard waste: Bag grass clippings and leaves for your regular trash day, and bundle branches for the monthly brush pickup, or take larger loads to the landfill. Never sweep yard waste into the street or a storm drain.
Other Items
For anything not listed here, see recycling of special items or call the City's main line at (555) 010-0311.
Fredville is a demonstration city built by Talk to Fred. Names, numbers and details on this page are sample content.