Recycling Convenience Centers
Items recycled at convenience centers:
- Newspaper and inserts
- Magazines
- Junk mail
- Phone books
- Shredded paper
- Home office paper products (fax sheets, typing paper, receipts, envelopes)
- Cardboard
- Tin and aluminum cans
Items not recycled at convenience centers:
- Glass food and beverage containers
- Plastics (#1,2,4,5,6,7 can take to Food City drop boxes – #3 not accepted)
- Plastic wrap
- Plastic containers containing automotive products or hazardous materials
- Food wrappers or anything that doesn’t tear cannot be accepted
- Plastic bags (can take to Walmart, Food City, or Kroger)
- Batteries (can take to Batteries Plus or Lowe’s)
- Light bulbs (can take to Lowe’s)
- Electronics (can take to the Sullivan County Transfer Station; does not include televisions)
*Please call retailers to confirm acceptance before taking items.
Prescription and Over-the-Counter Medication: Kingsport Police Department has a drop box in the interior lobby of the Justice Center located at 200 Shelby Street. Sullivan County also has a drop box at their Blountville facility.
Hazardous Household Chemicals & Pesticides: Accepted once a year at the Hazardous Household Waste Collection held by Sullivan County Solid Waste and the State of TN. The event date is set by the state, but residents can call 423-323-6439 to find out more information.
Convenience Locations:
- 1921 Brookside Lane (at City Landfill/Sullivan County Transfer Station)
- 1550 Fort Henry Drive (behind the Civic Auditorium)
- 300 Industry Drive (Between Skate park and Cemex)
- 101 Lakecrest Drive (in Colonial Heights near Ingles)
- 333 Hill Road (at Indian Springs Elementary School)
- 1717 Bristol Caverns Highway (at Holston Valley Middle School)
- 6681 Bristol Highway (at Food City)
- 3560 Sullivan Gardens Drive
- Northeast State Community College
Plastics:
Food City has partnered with Eastman to provide plastic recycling collection containers at Food City locations in Kingsport.
“Shop, Recycle, Repeat” bins are currently located at:
The bins accept plastics #1, 2, 4, 5, 6, and 7. Plastics with #3 on them are not accepted. The collected plastic will be sorted and processed by Eastman’s new mixed plastics processing facility.
Recycling FAQ
Why did the city shift from curbside recycling to convenience center drop-off locations?
To create and maintain effective and efficient operations, the City of Kingsport will shift from the curbside collection of recyclable material to convenience center drop-off locations.
The shift will save Kingsport more than $850,000 annually amid a collapsed market for recyclable material. The recycling program has not been active since its pause in 2020 due to the degraded market.
Additionally, the transition to convenience centers will allow for the highest level of the material collected to be beneficially reused due to the ability to control the quality of each stream.
When all recyclable material is placed into one cart in a “mixed” state for curbside collection, there is a higher chance of contamination that leads to items becoming unsuitable for reuse. Separating recyclables by specific materials to drop off at any of the convenience centers will significantly decrease the risk of contamination and materials going to the landfill.
What is recycling contamination?
Recycling contamination occurs when materials are not properly cleaned or when materials are incorrectly sorted. When collecting recyclable materials and sorting into bins, anything other than that specific material – even other recyclable materials – can be considered a contaminant.
How do I prevent recycling contamination?
Keep recyclables separated in bins and make sure all items are clean and dry to reduce the risk of recycling contamination.
Are there any curbside collection options?
Private, local providers can supply curbside collection of recyclable materials.
What if I need an additional garbage cart?
Residents may call Streets & Sanitation at 423-229-9451 to request an additional cart be added to their billing account.
