Paint Residents of the City of Austin and Travis County should take household quantities of latex and oil-based paint free of charge to the Household Hazardous Waste Facility for safe disposal. Latex paint in good condition will be recycled. Avoid having to dispose of paint by buying only what you need.
Paint cans Remove the lids from empty latex paint cans and allow any residue to dry out. Afterwards you can put the can and lid in the trash separately. DO NOT put paint cans or lids in your Single Stream Recycling cart. Residents of the City of Austin and Travis County should bring household quantities of oil-based paint cans free of charge to the Household Hazardous Waste Facility for safe disposal. Do not put these in the trash, even if they're empty.
Paint thinner Residents of the City of Austin and Travis County should take household quantities of paint thinner and other solvents free of charge to the Household Hazardous Waste Facility for safe disposal. Avoid having to dispose of paint thinner by buying only what you need.
Pallets Pay-As-You-Throw customers can set out pallets during their bulky item collection. Please place the pallets with other non-metal items. You may be able to dispose of pallets at local landfills for a fee.
Pamphlets Pay-As-You-Throw customers can recycle pamphlets by putting them in their Single Stream Recycling cart with other recyclables. If you are not a Pay-As-You-Throw customer, consult your waste company or building manager about whether to put pamphlets in your trash or in your recycling. Ecology Action accepts paper at its downtown Austin recycling drop off center.
Paper Pay-As-You-Throw customers can recycle newspapers, magazines, catalogs, home office paper, colored paper, greeting cards, envelopes and junk mail by putting them in their Single Stream Recycling cart with other recyclables. Solid Waste Services cannot recycle tissue or wrapping paper, facial or toilet tissue, paper towels or napkins, or any wet or food-stained paper. If you are not a Pay-As-You-Throw customer, consult your waste company or building manager about whether to put paper products in your trash or in your recycling. Ecology Action accepts similar paper to Solid Waste Services at its downtown Austin recycling drop off center.
Paper bags See Bags - Paper.
Paper ream wrappers Pay-As-You-Throw customers can recycle paper ream wrappers by putting them in their Single Stream Recycling cart with other recyclables. If you are not a Pay-As-You-Throw customer, consult your waste company or building manager about whether to put paper ream wrappers in your trash or in your recycling. Ecology-Action accepts paper at its downtown Austin recycling drop off center.
Paperboard Solid Waste Services now recycles paperboard or boxboard, the paper used to make cereal boxes, soda cartons, shoe boxes and similar boxes. Paperboard can be placed in your Single Stream Recycling cart with other recyclables.
Paperboard can also be taken to Ecology Action's downtown drop off center for recycling, or compost it in your back yard.
Pesticides Residents of the City of Austin and Travis County should take household quantities of pesticides free of charge to the Household Hazardous Waste Facility for safe disposal. Empty containers cannot be recycled and should be put in your trash. Avoid having to dispose of pesticides by buying only what you need.
Phone BooksPhone books can be placed in your Single Stream Recycling cart with other recyclables. Check with local grocery stores for other places to recycle phone books.
Photographic Chemicals Residents of the City of Austin and Travis County should take household quantities of photographic chemicals free of charge to the Household Hazardous Waste Facility for safe disposal.
Pizza boxes Solid Waste Services cannot recycle pizza boxes due to food and grease contamination. Please put pizza boxes in your garbage cart.
Plastic Plastics #1 - #7 are recyclable through Solid Waste Services’ Single Stream Recycling service. These items can be placed in your Single Stream Recycling cart. (Recycling numbers are usually located on the bottom or the side of an item.)
Note: If the bottle contained motor oil, pesticides, herbicides, adhesives, paints or solvents, it cannot be recycled no matter what type of plastic it was made from.
Plastic bags See Bags - Plastic.
Plastic bottles Pay-As-You-Throw customers can recycle most plastic bottles that are made from #1 - #7 at the curb. Put them in your Single Stream Recycling cart with other recyclables.
Motor oil bottles, pesticide bottles, herbicide bottles, and glue and other adhesive bottles cannot be recycled no matter what type of plastic they are made from.
If you are not a Pay-As-You-Throw customer, consult your waste company or building manager about whether to put plastic bottles in your trash or in your recycling.
Ecology-Action accepts #1 and #2 plastic bottles at its downtown Austin recycling drop off center.
Plastic jars & tubs Plastic jars and tubs, such as margarine containers, yogurt containers, peanut butter containers, etc. that are made from plastic #1 - #7 can be recycled by placing them in your Single Stream Recycling cart. Ecology-Action accepts these types of plastic tubs at its downtown Austin recycling drop off center.
Plastic product packaging Solid Waste Services CANNOT recycle plastic product packaging at the curb. Please put them in your trash.
Plastic utensils Plastic utensils made from plastic #1 - #7 can be recycled at the curb. Please put them in your Single Stream Recycling cart.
Plastic wrap Solid Waste Services cannot recycle plastic wrap at the curb. Please put them in your garbage cart.
Plywood You may be able to donate plywood in good condition to the Habitat for Humanity RE-store or dispose of it at local landfills for a fee. Solid Waste Services cannot collect it during bulky item collections.
Pool Chemicals Residents of the City of Austin and Travis County should take household quantities of pool chemicals free of charge to the Household Hazardous Waste Facility for safe disposal. Avoid having to dispose of pool chemicals by buying only what you need.
Never put pool chemicals in your trash. Many pool chemicals give of fumes that can be harmful to collection workers.
Posters Pay-As-You-Throw customers can recycle posters by putting them in their Single Stream Recycling cart with other recyclables.
If you are not a Pay-As-You-Throw customer, consult your waste company or building manager about whether to put posters in your trash or in your recycling.
Ecology Action accepts paper at its downtown Austin recycling drop off center.
"Post-it" Notes Pay-As-You-Throw customers can recycle "Post-it" notes by putting them in their Single Stream Recycling cart with other recyclables.
If you are not a Pay-As-You-Throw customer, consult your waste company or building manager about whether to put "Post-it" notes in your trash or in your recycling.
Ecology Action accepts paper at its downtown Austin recycling drop off center.
Product samples Solid Waste Services cannot recycle product samples at the curb. Please put them in your garbage cart. | 
