The City of Longview began enforcing new recycling rules on Monday, October 19, 2026, a significant change that could result in residents losing their blue-lidded recycling carts if they are found to contain prohibited materials. This new policy has been implemented with the goal of reducing contamination within the city’s recycling stream and enhancing the overall effectiveness of its recycling program.
Under these updated rules, Longview residents whose recycling carts contain household garbage, non-recyclable items, or plastic bags are subject to having their carts tagged and subsequently removed from their property. This measure, according to the City of Longview, is a direct effort to improve the quality of materials collected for recycling.
To avoid cart removal, residents must ensure that only accepted items are placed in their blue carts, and that these items are placed loosely, not inside plastic bags. The city specifies that accepted materials include clean paper and cardboard, metal food and beverage cans, and certain plastics labeled with No. 1, No. 2, or No. 5. A helpful guideline for residents concerning cardboard is that clean material is accepted, but greasy boxes with food residue are not considered recyclable and should not be placed in the blue cart.
Conversely, several materials are explicitly not accepted in Longview’s blue recycling carts. These include glass, Styrofoam, plastic bags of any kind, food waste, liquids, and plastics labeled with No. 3, No. 4, No. 6, or No. 7. Residents are encouraged to consult the city's guidelines if they are uncertain about whether a particular item is recyclable.
In addition to the stricter material acceptance criteria, the City of Longview has also revised its recycling collection schedule. Recycling pickup will now occur one day after a resident's regular household garbage collection. For example, if a resident's regular trash pickup is scheduled for Monday, their recycling will be collected on Tuesday. The city has stated that recycling carts placed at the curb on a resident's regular trash day will not be serviced that day; instead, they will be skipped and picked up on the designated recycling day. Residents who are unsure of their specific collection days can find this information by checking the city's recycling program details and collection schedule.
Recognizing that these program changes may increase the amount of household garbage for some residents, Longview is offering an option to request an additional standard trash cart. This service is available for an extra charge of $5 per month, providing a solution for residents who may require more space for non-recyclable waste due to the updated guidelines.
The City of Longview states that the primary intention behind these modifications is to reduce contamination levels within the recycling process, which will ultimately make the entire recycling program more efficient and effective. To aid residents in adapting to these changes, the city is in the process of forming a citizen task force. This group will be tasked with educating residents about the updated guidelines, clarifying any uncertainties regarding recyclable materials, and recommending methods to measure the long-term success of the program. Residents are advised to familiarize themselves with the city’s recycling guidelines to ensure compliance and avoid the inconvenience of having their recycling carts removed.
