Recycling

Bison Ridge Recycling’s self-service center accepts a wide range of household recyclable materials, construction, and industrial scrap materials.

Hours

Location

Fast Lane Tips

Household Recyclables Self-Serve Drop-Off. Assistance available if needed.
Scrap-Metal Quick-Pay! ID’s required for sale of all non-ferrous materials.
E-Waste. Simply walk in and put it in the labeled bin!
Support your local organization with donation of aluminum cans or other material. Just tell us to put it on their tab!

Household Recyclables: What We Accept But DO NOT Buy

E-Waste

Computers, printers, TVs, and all other types of electronics. TVs with CRT glass incur a charge ($40.00). There is no charge for flat-screen TVs and monitors.

Household Batteries

We accept all small household batteries.

Newspaper

All newsprint and colored ads may be recycled together.

Office Paper

All paper out of an office. Color can be mixed.

Steel/Tin Cans

Food containers. Examples are containers for canned goods. Rule of thumb: A magnet will stick to it.

HDPE #2 (Colored)

All bottles with #2 imprinted on the product. An example is laundry detergent. It is a solid color, and you cannot see through the material.

HDPE #2 (Natural)

All bottles with #2 imprinted on the product. An example is milk jugs. You can see through the material.

PETE #1 (Clear Plastic)

All bottles with #1 imprinted on the product. Examples are water and ketchup bottles. Generally clear, and you can see through it.

Cardboard

All old corrugated boxes, including cereal boxes and paper towel rolls. No milk or orange juice containers.

Glass

All colors of food or beverage glass. Does not need to be separated by color.

Scrap Materials - Ferrous/Non-Ferrous metals - what we buy

Ferrous Metals

Steel and Iron

A magnet will stick to it—examples: Clothes washer and dryer, hot-water heater, engine block, industrial iron, and metal. Must have 100 lbs. or more to sell Steel and Iron.

Non-Ferrous Metals

Aluminum

Aluminum Scrap (EXTRUDED)

Window frames with very little contamination.

Aluminum Scrap (DIRTY)

Basic aluminum material with significant amounts of foreign material attached (such as screws, rubber, or steel attachments).

Aluminum Scrap (CLEAN)

Basic aluminum material. Examples: Lawn furniture, window frames, bicycle frames.

Aluminum Cans

Common aluminum beverage containers such as soda and beer cans. Aluminum pet food containers are also acceptable.

Copper

ACSR

Insulated Aluminum wire that usually has a steel wire running through it for reinforcement.

#2 Insulated Copper

Consists of insulated wire that each strand is smaller in diameter than 16-gauge wire. The purchase price is based on the percentage of copper.

#1 Insulated Copper

Consists of insulated wire that each strand is a minimum of 16-gauge wire. The purchase price is based on the percentage of copper.

Copper Sheet

Consists of copper that is a sheet material. Examples are guttering and flashing.

#2 Copper

Consists of smaller than 16-gauge wire and tubing that are free of other material and have no corrosion or sweat joints.

#1 Copper Pipe

Consists of copper tubing with little or no corrosion and no joints or fittings on the tubing.

#1 Copper Wire

Consists of bare wire that each strand is a minimum of 16 gauge with no insulation.

Bare Bright

Also known as “bright and shiny” copper. It refers exclusively to bare, uncoated, and unalloyed wire or cable no thinner than 16 gauge in thickness.

Brass & Steel

Stainless Steel

Non-magnetic steel materials. Produces yellow marks when ground. Examples are kitchen sinks and other restaurant equipment. Must be free of foreign material to be sold for a clean price.

Red Brass

This material has a red color to it when scraped off the ground. An example of this material is gate valves.

Yellow Brass

This material has a yellow color to it when scraped or ground. Examples are faucets, drain pipes, and shut-off valves. Must be free of foreign material to be sold for a clean price.

Radiators, Electric Motors, Automotive Batteries

Auto Batteries

Lead-acid batteries used in cars and smaller vehicles/tractors. Must be stamped lead-acid. We do not accept gel cell batteries.

Electric Motors

Motors that have copper windings. An example would be household air conditioners.

Copper Aluminum Radiators

Radiators made up of copper tubes and aluminum fins. Must be free of iron to be sold for a clean price.

Brass Copper Radiators

Older radiators made up of brass and copper. Must be free of iron to be sold for a clean price.

Aluminum Breakage

Aluminum with a high percentage of iron, typically over 5% iron. An example is engine blockheads. Price is based on the percentage of aluminum content.

Lead & Wheel Weights

Wheel Weights

Lead wheel weights used to balance wheels and tires.

Lead

Soft lead. Examples are old drainpipes and sheets used for covering. Not wheel weights.

recycling guide

Materials that We DO NOT Accept & Our solutions

Hazardous Waste

This includes paints, chemicals, fuel, oil, and other auto fluids.

Solution

Riley County Hazard Waste is at Howie’s every 2nd Saturday of the month to pick up these materials. Or you can drop them off at their facility at 6245 Tuttle Creek Blvd., Monday, Friday, 7:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Their phone number is (785) 539-3202.

Tires

All rubber tires.

Solution

Riley County Transfer Station takes tires. They charge $4.00 to $17.00 per tire without rims. With rims is an additional $5.00 per tire. The Riley County Transfer Station is located at 1881 Henton Road, Manhattan, KS 66502, (785) 565-6290.

Styrofoam

Packing materials.

Solution

Dispose of this material with your regular household trash.

Grocery Bags

Thin plastic bags.

Solution

Reuse or return to grocery stores. Many have a collection point for used bags.

Plastics 3-7

Plastic bottles and containers.

Solution

Dispose of these with your regular household trash.

FAQS

What are the Recycling Center hours?

View our hours on our contact us page.

When does Hazardous Waste come to Bison Ridge?

Riley County Hazardous Waste comes out on the 2nd Saturday of each month, 8:00 am to Noon.

What recyclables do you accept?

Glass, cardboard, plastic number 1 and 2, steel cans, office paper, newspaper, magazines, and household batteries. We also buy all metals, including steel, aluminum cans, scrap, copper, brass, stainless steel, radiators, electric motors, batteries, lead, wheel weights, and catalytic converters. If you have something other than these materials, give us a call.

Do I have to sort my recycling?

Yes, we have convenient sorting bins for all your materials. Just follow the signage, and it won’t take you long at all.

Do you take electronics (e-waste) and old TVs?

Yes, we do. CRT TVs/monitors cannot be picked up on the curb. Please bring them to our Recycling Center for disposal. There is no charge for flat-screen TVs. The following charges apply for CRT TVs/monitors: $40.00. Please see our Electronic (E-waste) division for a complete list of materials that we accept.

Do you pay for cardboard and glass?

We do not buy consumer glass or cardboard. For industrial quantities, please contact us for more information about the recycling of large quantities of these materials.

Is window pane glass recyclable?

Window glass is different from household glass and containers. Window glass is often coated or tinted. Also, depending on the application where it’s used, it could be laminated or tempered glass. Consequently, the many different types of window glass cannot be combined in the recycling process. Because of these factors, window glass is considered to be construction debris, which we charge a $20.00 minimum or $75.00 per ton to dump in our construction debris scrapyard at the recycling center.

Do you take propane bottles?

Yes, as long as the valves are taken off. We will purchase this as steel.

What time do you stop taking large loads of steel and construction debris in your scrap yard?

Our yard is open at 8:00 am and closes at 4:30 pm Monday through Friday, and from 8:00 am to 11:30 am on Saturday. Plan to arrive at Howie’s in plenty of time to be able to dump and leave the facility by these closing times.

Are there any regulations about selling scrap materials in the State of Kansas?

For specific information about the sale of non-ferrous materials, please refer to our policies, as new laws went into effect in July 2020, that govern our purchase of these materials.