Skip to main content
CityRuleLookup
Key FactsOrdinance TextFull BreakdownViolationsFAQSourcesMore in Tulsa

Tulsa, OK Trash & Recycling: Recycling Requirements (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified August 2026

Key Facts

Program
Voluntary residential recycling, TARE-operated
Container
Authority-issued recycling cart only
Preparation
Loose in cart, lid fully closed
Contamination
Non-program items not collected
Repeat violation
Cart removed from address

Summary

Tulsa's voluntary residential recycling program requires materials to go loosely into the authority-issued recycling cart with the lid fully closed: non-program items aren't collected, and repeatedly contaminated carts get pulled from service.

Program recyclable materials shall be placed loosely in recycling carts provided by the authority and in a manner that does not impede the free flow of materials from the cart when it is being emptied. Program recyclable materials placed outside of a recycling cart will not be serviced. The lid to the cart must close completely. Placing any item or substance that is not a program recyclable material in a recycling cart is prohibited.

Source: Tulsa Refuse and RecyclingView official code

Full Breakdown

Tulsa runs its residential recycling collection through TARE, the Tulsa Authority for the Recovery of Energy. Every residential service unit must use only the recycling cart the authority supplies. Under Tulsa Revised Ordinances, Title 11-B, § 204, program recyclable materials go loosely into that cart, never left beside it, and the lid must close completely; anything set outside the cart is not serviced. Putting non-program materials in the cart is prohibited outright: the collections contractor will not empty a contaminated cart, and a cart contaminated again and again gets pulled from the residence under the Director's rules.

Violations & Fines

Placing a non-recyclable in the cart means the contractor skips it that week; keep doing it and the authority pulls the recycling cart from your address under the Director's contamination rules.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is recycling mandatory for Tulsa residents?
No. Tulsa's residential program is voluntary, but every unit that participates must use the authority's recycling cart and follow the placement rules in Title 11-B, § 204.
What happens if I put trash in my recycling cart?
Under § 204, the collections contractor won't empty a cart containing non-program materials, and a cart that's contaminated repeatedly gets removed from your residential service unit.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Tulsa

Collection ScheduleSome RestrictionsBulk Item DisposalSome RestrictionsRecycling RulesSome RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Construction HoursSome RestrictionsYard Waste CollectionSome RestrictionsDumpster RulesSome RestrictionsIllegal DumpingSome RestrictionsPickup Rules & SchedulesSome RestrictionsBin Placement RulesSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Loading ZonesSome RestrictionsParking Rules: EV ChargingLight RestrictionsParking Rules: Preferential Parking DistrictsSome RestrictionsFence Regulations: Material RestrictionsSignificant RestrictionsFence Regulations: Fence Permit RequirementsSome Restrictions

All Tulsa rules

Compare Tulsa to another location·View the Oklahoma trash & recycling overview

Get notified when Recycling Requirements in Tulsa, OK changes

We'll email you the moment we detect a change in the code. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.

We'll never sell or share your email. One-click unsubscribe in every email.

See something wrong?

Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.

Recycling Requirements in Nearby Cities

How other cities in this county handle recycling requirements.

Broken Arrow, OK
Some Restrictions