Recycling Resource Guide

A to Z Guide for Recycling

Note: The City of Grand Prairie does not endorse any private business. Any businesses mentioned are merely listed for your convenience.

A-Z Recycling

Acetone (nail polish remover, etc.): Can be disposed of at the Fort Worth Environmental Collection Center ECC or at a Household Hazardous Waste Collection event.

Adhesives: Adhesives can be allowed to dry out and place in your normal trash collection.

Aerosols: Empty aerosol cans are recyclable in your curbside recycling bin. Aerosols can be disposed of at the ECC or at a Household Hazardous Waste Collection event

Ammunitions & Explosives: Call the Grand Prairie Police Department non-emergency line (972-237-8790) to dispose of all types of ammunition and explosives.

Animal Carcasses: Animal carcasses can be disposed of at the Grand Prairie Landfill for a disposal fee. Please call 972-237-4562 ahead of time. Dead animal pickup can also be arranged throughout the city's Animal Services Department.

Appliances (air conditioning units, clothes washers & dryers, dishwashers, refrigerators, stovetops, etc.): Appliances can be taken to the Grand Prairie Landfill. Free curbside pick-up can also be arranged by calling Republic Services at 817-261-8812 (Note: Hold times can be 20 to 30 minutes during high call volume).

Ash: Allow ash to cool and seal in a plastic bag before throwing it away. This helps prevent injuries to our crew and damage to your trash can.

Automotive Chemicals & Fluids (antifreeze, brake fluid, carburetor cleaner, hydraulic fluid, polish, starter fluid, etc.): Can be disposed of at the ECC or at a Household Hazardous Waste Collection event.

Automotive Parts: Gas tanks must be triple washed and rendered unusable. Auto parts that are free of gas and oil can be thrown away or taken to the Grand Prairie Landfill

Batteries (alkaline, car batteries, rechargeable batteries, etc.): Alkaline batteries can be thrown away, though are sometimes accepted with rechargeable batteries when recycling. Rechargeable batteries can be recycled at your nearest Batteries PlusBest BuyHome DepotLowe’s, or Staples. Car batteries can be recycled at Batteries Plus, and can sometimes be recycled at an auto parts store such as AutoZone or O’Reilly Auto Parts for a credit. Please call ahead of time to verify with the store. Find more information on battery disposal at http://www.call2recycle.org/. Batteries can also be disposed of at the ECC or at an Household Hazardous Waste Collection event.

Books: Can either be donated to a school or library in small quantities or sold to Half Price Books or another secondhand store. Damaged books can be recycled in your curbside recycling bin.

Cans: Aluminum and tin cans can be recycled in your curbside recycling bin.

Car seats, strollers, swings, jumpers, highchairs, diaper bags, etc.: Items in reusable condition can be sold at a consignment store such as Kid to Kid or Once Upon A Child or donated to Goodwill Industries or Salvation Army. Items not in reusable condition or damaged items can be thrown away or taken to the landfill.

Carbon paper: Carbon paper is not recyclable and can be thrown in the trash.

Cardboard (cereal boxes, clean pizza boxes, soda can boxes, etc.): Collapse cardboard boxes and place in your curbside recycling bin or under the bin at the curb if they are too big to fit. Cardboard can also be disposed of at recycling drop-off stations throughout the city.

Carpet: Carpet can be taken to the landfill or recycled through Recycle Revolution, LLC. in Dallas (214-566-3025) or Texas Carpet Recycling in Grapevine (817-552-1011).

Caulk: Can be disposed of at the ECC or at an HHW event.

Cell phones: Cell phones can often be recycled through your phone service provider, or donated to Cell Phones for Soldiers.

Chemicals (acids, bases, etc.): Can be disposed of at the ECC or at an HHW event.

Christmas Lights: Christmas lights can sometimes be recycled at your nearest hardware store such as Home Depot or Lowe’s during a promotional event. Christmas lights can also be mailed in to Christmas Light Source’s recycling program. Christmas Light Source uses the proceeds from recycling your Christmas Lights to purchase toys to donate to Dallas/Fort Worth Toys for Tots.

Christmas Trees: Trees free of ornaments, stands, and plastic bags can be recycled for free in the two weeks following Christmas (December 25) at the landfill. Artificial trees and trees sprayed with artificial snow cannot be accepted for recycling. Acceptable trees will be recycled into mulch, which is free and available at the landfill to all Grand Prairie residents. Trees can also be collected on your normal garbage collection day, but will be collected as garbage rather than recycled.

Clothing: Usable clothing can be sold to a consignment store such as Plato's ClosetUptown Cheapskate, or Buffalo Exchange. They may also be donated to Goodwill Industries of Dallas, Inc. (214-638-2800) and Salvation Army or any other church or humanitarian organization. Damaged clothing may be thrown in the trash.

Construction & Demolition Waste: Can be taken to the Grand Prairie landfill. Commercial rate is $32/ton. Residential rates are free for the first load with proof of residence (current water bill or valid driver’s license) and $3 for each additional load.

Cooking Oil & Grease: Can be disposed of at the ECC or at a Household Hazardous Waste Collection event. If oil is sealed in a container with an absorbent or kitty litter and solidified, it can be thrown away.

Dry Cement and Concrete Mixes: Can be thrown in the trash.

Drywall: Can be taken to the landfill with other construction and demolition waste. 

Electronic Waste (cell phones, computers, TVs, various electronics): Amazon.comBest Buy, and Staples have trade-in and recycling programs. Most electronics can be recycled through AOK Computer Recycling in Dallas (214-616-6909), DFW Reclaimers in Watauga (817-291-1067), or GEEP International in Grand Prairie (972-602-2917). Working electronics can sometimes be sold to an electronics store such as Entertainmart or Gazelle. They can also be donated to Goodwill Industries, Salvation Army, or another secondhand store. The City of Grand Prairie offers electronics recycling events throughout the year, and electronic waste can be disposed of at the landfill at any time. 

Epoxy: Epoxy can be taken to the Fort Worth Environmental Collection Center (ECC) or a Household Hazardous Waste Collection event.

Fertilizers: Fertilizers can be disposed of at the ECC or at a Household Hazardous Waste Collection event.

Fire Extinguishers: Call the Grand Prairie Fire Department non-emergency line (972-237-8300) to dispose of fire extinguishers. 

Flags: The American Legion Auxiliary Department of Texas accepts American, POW, and Texan flags and ensures that they are properly retired by holding an annual Flag Retirement Ceremony on Flag Day. Local Boy Scout troops are also able to retire unserviceable flags with a proper ceremony.

Flares: Call the Grand Prairie Police Department’s non-emergency line (972-237-8790) for proper disposal of flares.

Food & beverage containers: Glass bottles and jars, plastic containers and bottles with twist-off lids, and paper food containers can all be accepted in your curbside recycling bin. Please empty the container, rinse out with water, and allow to dry if possible. Labels do not need to be removed. Styrofoam containers cannot be recycled curbside and can be thrown away.

Furniture: Can be taken to the landfill or picked up curbside by scheduling ahead of time by calling 817-261-8812. Furniture in good condition can be donated to Goodwill Industries, Salvation Army, or another secondhand store.

Glues: Glues can be taken to the ECC or the Household Hazardous Waste Collection event.

Hazardous Waste: Can be disposed at the ECC or Household Hazardous Waste Collection event.

Herbicides (brush killer, weed killer, etc.): Can be disposed of at the ECC or at an HHW event.

Household chemicals (cleaners, solvents, etc.): Can be disposed of at the ECC or at an HHW event.

Ink/toner: Can sometimes be recycled through your manufacturer or dealer. Otherwise, ink and toner can be disposed of at the ECC or at an HHW event.

Joint Compound: Can be thrown away.

Laundry products (detergent, fabric softener, etc.): Can be poured down the drain. Pour one cup of material down the drain and let water run for one minute. Do NOT pour multiple products down the drain at once. Can also be disposed of at the ECC or at an HHW event.

Lawn mowers: After draining the gas and oil, lawn mowers can either be taken to the landfill or picked up curbside. Some scrap dealers may also accept old lawn mowers.

License plates: Old license plates should be turned in to the Dallas County treasurer (214-653-7321), Tarrant County treasurer (817-473-5127), or Grand Prairie Department of Public Safety (972-264-6598) to be cancelled and marked as surrendered in the state’s files. License plates cannot be recycled at the curb because they are made from a different type of aluminum than the kind that is processed in our program.

Light bulbs: Incandescent light bulbs can be thrown in the trash. Fluorescent light bulbs may be collected at your local hardware store such as Home Depot or Lowe’s, or can be disposed of at the ECC or at an HHW event.

Lighter fluid: Can be disposed of at the ECC or at an HHW event.

Medical air tanks: Can be returned to the manufacturer or distributor from which they were purchased.

Medical equipment (bathtub assistance equipment, bed rails, crutches, commodes, geriatric chairs, hospital beds, Hoyer lifts, stair lifts, walkers, wheelchairs, etc.): Can be donated to Goodwill Industries.

Medications: Can be best disposed of through the Grand Prairie Police Department’s Medication Disposal Program, or mixed with trash items, double-bagged, and thrown away. Do NOT dump medications down the drain. Empty prescription bottles can be recycled in your curbside recycling bin.

Mercury (thermometers, switches, etc.): Can be disposed of at the ECC or at an HHW event.

Metals: Industrial metals can be disposed of at the landfill with construction & demolition waste or recycled through a metals recycler. Aluminum and tin cans can be recycled in your curbside recycling bin.

Motor oil: Used motor oil can often be recycled at your nearest auto shop such as AutoZone or O’Reilly Auto Parts. Please call ahead to confirm.

Newspapers: Can be recycled in your curbside recycling bin. Large quantities can be taken to one of the recycling drop-off centers within the city.

Packing products (bubble wrap, packing peanuts, etc.): Bubble wrap can be thrown away or sometimes accepted at your nearest UPS Store. Recycle Revolution (214-566-3025) and some UPS Stores can recycle packing peanuts, and Tree Hugger Containers (214-384-1316) will buy back some gently used packing products. Please call ahead.

Paint remover: Can be disposed of at the ECC or at an HHW event.

Paint thinner: Can be disposed of at the ECC or at an HHW event.

Paint: Latex paint and water-based acrylic paint can be thrown away after drying out. Paints can be dried out by mixing with kitty litter or sawdust. Some paints can also be donated to a Habitat for Humanity ReStore, where used building materials are sold at a discounted rate to help fund building projects.

Pesticides (bug killer, etc.): Can be disposed of at the ECC or at an HHW event.

Plastics: Plastics marked 1, 2, and 5 can be recycled in your curbside recycling bin. Plastic films such as grocery bags and packaging can often be returned to your nearest grocery store. Check here for more information.

Pool chemicals: Can be disposed of at the ECC or at an HHW event.

Propane tanks: Can be returned to a hardware or sporting goods store where propane tanks are sold, or taken to AmeriGas (972-263-9971).

Rat poison: Can be disposed of at the ECC or at an HHW event.

Satellite dishes: Can be disposed of through Dish Disposal (1-800-381-2851).

Sharps (needles, razor blades, syringes, etc.): Can be disposed of at the ECC or at an HHW event, and should be safely contained within a labeled container.

Shoes: Usable shoes in good condition can be sold to a consignment store or donated to Soles 4 Souls, Goodwill Industries, or Salvation Army. Shoes in usable or unusable condition can be dropped in a Nike Reuse-A-Shoe collection.

Shredded documents: Please do NOT place shredded documents in your recycling bin.  Shredded paper can be bagged and disposed of in regular trash.  Or, bring documents to one of our Shred Day events.

Soil: Potting soil can be thrown away. Uncontaminated soil is free to dispose of at the landfill.

Styrofoam: Cannot be recycled in your curbside recycling bin, but can be recycled at Recycle Revolution (214-566-3025) or Dart Container (214-339-3131)

Thermostats: Can be disposed of at the ECC or at an HHW event. A nearby recycling station can be found at http://www.thermostat-recycle.org/

Tires: Can be taken to the landfill for a fee (Auto/pickup truck: $1/tire for up to 4 tires/visit; truck tires $5/tire for up to 2 tires/visit; tractor tires $10/tire for 1 tire/visit). Solid or pressed forklift, golf cart, and lawn mower tires are not recyclable and can be thrown away

Toilets/commodes: Toilets that are clean, in working condition, and low-flush (≤1.6 gal) can be donated to a Habitat For Humanity ReStore. Large quantities of toilets can also be recycled at Recycle Revolution (214-566-3025) for a fee.

Vehicles: Keep America Beautiful(1-855-426-2474) will pick up your car, truck, boat, RV, motorcycle, construction or farm equipment, etc., running or not. Running vehicles can also be donated to KERA (1-877-855-5372) to help fund local broadcasting. Goodwill Industries also accepts running vehicles for donation.

Window glass: Cannot be recycled in your curbside recycling bin. Can be taken to the landfill or disposed of through Strategic Materials in Midlothian (972-237-4562).

Wire hangers: Cannot be recycled in your curbside recycling bin. Can be taken to the landfill.

Wood: Can be disposed of with construction & demolition waste. Clean lumber and pallets can be taken to the landfill and mulched.

X-rays: B.W. Recycling in Fort Worth (817-754-8777) will buy your X-rays for silver extraction. B.W. Recycling will collect your X-rays for free if they weigh more than 50 lbs. total; X-rays totaling less than 50 lbs. altogether can be taken to their facility.

Yard waste: Large brush can be collected with your regular garbage collection or on your designated week for pickup. Grass clippings are not collected and should be left on your lawn.

Places to Recycle

RENEW (Resource Exchange Network for Eliminating Waste)This tool is designed to help facilities worldwide exchange materials that would otherwise be disposed of. RENEW allows you to see materials available at a facility, or post your own materials. 

Fort Worth Environmental Collection Center
6400 Bridge St
Fort Worth, TX 76112
817-871-5257

Grand Prairie Development Center
206 W Church St
Grand Prairie, TX 75050

Grand Prairie Landfill
1102 MacArthur Blvd
Grand Prairie, TX 75050
972-237-8151

AOK Computer Recycling
10944 Grissom Ln #740
Dallas, TX 75299
214-616-6909

AOK Computer Recycling is a Dallas based electronics recycling company whose first priority is the security, sterilization, destruction of your data and the well being of a greener environment. 

B.W. Recycling, Inc.
X-ray recycling service

Cell Phones for Soldiers
Cell Phones For Soldiers accepts any and all types of cell phones from any carrier. Newer, gently-used mobile devices, including smartphones, are preferred; however, proceeds are generated from the recycling of broken and outdated mobile phones. Chargers and accessories are also welcomed to donate. 

Christmas Light Source
Year-round Christmas light recycling program

Styrofoam Recycling at Dart Container
Styrofoam with symbol #6 only.
4444 W. Ledbetter Rd.
Dallas, TX  75236
Collection center is located on the west side of the building by the truck 

DFW Reclaimers
6016 Denton Hwy #400
Watauga, TX 76148
817-291-1067

Residential and commercial electronic and computer recycling

Gazelle
Gazelle is a reCommerce company that buys and sells pre-owned consumer electronics. 

GEEP International
2501 N Great Southwest Pkwy
Grand Prairie, TX 75050
972-602-2917

Goodwill Industries of North Central Texas

Grand Prairie Police Department
1525 Arkansas Ln
Grand Prairie, TX 75052
972-237-8790

Grand Prairie United Charities
1417 Densman St
Grand Prairie, TX 75051
972-262-2014

Habitat for Humanity ReStores
Habitat ReStores are independently owned reuse stores operated by local Habitat for Humanity organizations that accept donations and sell home improvement items to the public at a fraction of the retail price.

Lifeline Shelter for Families, Inc.
202 College St, Ste. 101
Grand Prairie, TX 75050
972-642-7744

Recycle Revolution, LLC.
7600 Sovereign Row
Dallas, TX 75247
214-566-3025

The Salvation Army Family Stores

Soles 4 Souls
Donate Shoes

Strategic Materials
3240 Robinson Rd
Midlothian, TX 76065
972-723-2422

Strategic Materials processes recycled glass and plastic for use in a wide array of products, creating efficiencies while conserving earth's natural resources. 

Texas Carpet Recycling
1712 Minters Chapel Rd
Grapevine, TX 76051
817-552-1011

Texas Recycles Computers Program

Texas Recycles TVs Program

Chemicals Household Hazardous Waste

Most chemicals can be disposed of at the Fort Worth Environmental Collection Center (ECC). Grand Prairie residents are allowed to dispose of residential hazardous waste at the Fort Worth ECC by providing proof of residence with a current water bill or valid driver’s license.

The City of Grand Prairie also hosts  Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) events at the Development Center throughout the year. Most types of residential waste are accepted, but please be sure to register ahead of time as space is limited.

Exchange Program for Industrial Waste

The Resource Exchange Network for Eliminating Waste (RENEW) is a tool designed to help facilities exchange materials that would otherwise go in the trash. Learn more about RENEW >>