Metro Central: Garbage, recycling, hazardous waste disposal

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Bring your garbage, recycling, hazardous waste or food scraps to Metro Central transfer station at 6161 NW 61st Ave. in Portland. Find out what's accepted, plus hours, rates and more.

Hours

Transfer station: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily
Household hazardous waste: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday, closed Sunday

During extreme weather or fire events the facilities may close or have modified operating hours. Check the website or call 503-234-3000 for the most up-to-date closure information.

All facilities closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's days; open regular hours on Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day.

Know before you go

Did you know that you pay a lower rate when you cover your load? Proper load prep saves you money and time. Learn more

Metro supports a safe environment for customers and employees. Visitors who harass or endanger employees or other customers may be removed from the transfer station. Learn more

Questions?

Ask Metro
503-234-3000
Send a message

Directions

Address:: Metro Central transfer station; 6161 NW 61st Ave, Portland, OR 97210

Safety information

Materials and fees

What's accepted and how much it costs

Minimum fees range from $34-$48, depending on the type of waste and if the load is covered or uncovered.

Metro transfer stations: what to know

202.33 KB Adobe Acrobat PDF Published Jun 1, 2024

Covered loads

Loads that do not have a covering are charged an additional $25 per ton ($3 extra for minimum loads). Uncovered loads are a hazard and can result in a littering fine.

Types of covered loads Loads must be covered with a tarp or similar to qualify.	Price per ton
Trash/garbage minimum $45 fee up to the first 240 pounds	$153.67
Wood/yard debris mixed, engineered wood minimum $45 fee up to the first 240 pounds Engineered wood (plywood, oriented strand board, particle board), laminated wood and paneling, and painted, treated, stained or varnished wood is charged as garbage.	$153.67
Clean wood minimum $37 fee up to the first 240 pounds	$81.92
Clean yard debris minimum $34 fee up to the first 240 pounds To receive the clean yard debris or wood rate, yard debris and wood must be separated. Mixed loads are charged at the garbage rate. Yard debris must be free of dirt, sod, stumps, rocks, metal, glass, garbage and plastic bags. Wood must be raw dimensional lumber, pallets or packing crates free of paint, stain and other treatments and free of strapping, shrink wrap, shipping labels and hardware (nails OK).	$56.00
Residential organics minimum $38 fee up to the first 240 pounds	$94.04
Commercial organics minimum $37 fee up to the first 240 pounds	$82.41

Hazardous waste

What is hazardous?

paints and stains

pool and spa chemicals

pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers and poisons

motor oil, antifreeze and other automotive fluids

thinners and solvents

household cleaners and disinfectants

batteries

art and hobby chemicals

aerosol spray products

sharps (medical syringes)

propane tanks or bottles from barbecue grills

compact fluorescent light bulbs or CFLs, fluorescent tubes and ballasts

mercury-containing items such as thermometers and thermostats

More common hazardous products

Hazardous waste fees

Hazardous waste disposal is free for households. Businesses that generate small amounts of hazardous waste can apply for reduced cost disposal. Businesses must contact Metro and make an appointment before disposal.

Households can bring up to 35 gallons of hazardous waste, but may be charged for container sizes larger than 10 gallons. The 35-gallon limit is based on container size, not the quantity of material in the containers.

In order to accommodate as many customers as possible and to ensure operations are safe, Metro may have to reject loads containing more than 35 gallons. If you have a large load of material, please call ahead to discuss your options before loading your materials.

Disposing of hazardous waste

Never put hazardous waste down the sink, on the ground, down a storm drain or in your garbage can. Bring items to one of Metro's drop-off sites or a neighborhood collection event. Metro recycles most of the hazardous waste it collects and disposes of the rest in a specially designed landfill. Keep these items separate from garbage and recycling.

Drop off old paint free of charge at a Metro facility or a PaintCare collection center. Metro recycles latex paint and sells it in 5-gallon pails and 1-gallon cans.

Search Metro's online database for other hazardous waste disposal options near you.

If you live in Oregon outside Clackamas, Multnomah or Washington counties, call 1-800-RECYCLE (1-800-732-9253) for household hazardous waste information in your community.

How to prep your hazardous waste

Ways to pay

Accepted for free

Household items accepted for free at Metro Central

Note: The list below is not a complete list of everything accepted at Metro's garbage, recycling and hazardous waste disposal sites. Search your items in Metro's online database for more complete information on rates and items accepted. Items below are accepted as recycling unless otherwise noted.

Item	How to prep or other notes
Aluminum	Clean containers.
Appliances: Metal dishwashers, water heaters, stoves, ovens and clothes washers and dryers.	Appliances that run on coolant are not accepted free of charge. Search those items in the online database for more info. Dishwashers with a plastic casing are not accepted for free.
Batteries: Auto and other lead-acid batteries. No forklift batteries.	Secure any leaking batteries in leak-proof containers. Keep separate from garbage and recycling.
Corrugated cardboard (a wavy layer between two flat layers)	Flatten cardboard boxes and cut up any boxes larger than three feet in any direction. Do not cut them any smaller than 1 foot square.
Electronics	Intact computers, monitors, laptops and televisions.
Glass bottles and jars	Rinse and sort by color; recycle caps with tin cans.
Magazines and catalogs
Metal, scrap: Most metal accepted, including coated cables.	Neatly rolled wire fencing may be accepted for recycling. If the fencing is attached to non-recyclable things like wood fence posts, sod, or garbage the fencing will not be accepted free of charge.
Motor oil	You can recycle up to 20 gallons in 5-gallon or smaller containers free of charge. Take up to 35 gallons to the hazardous waste facility. Containers must be left at the facility.
Mowers (lawn; non-riding), gas-powered	Drain of all oil and gasoline.
Newspaper	Remove strings, rubber bands or bags.
Paints Accepted as hazardous waste.	Keep separate from garbage and recycling. Note: Clean, empty metal or plastic paint cans can be recycled at the curb, as well as the metal lids (not plastic lids)
Paper, scrap: Includes junk mail, cereal boxes, etc.
Plastic milk jugs, bottles (with neck or threaded opening)	Remove lids and empty contents.
Plastic tubs: Yogurt, cottage cheese, salsa, margarine containers, etc.; cat litter and laundry detergent buckets.	Recycle clean tubs and buckets in the same bin as plastic bottles and jars; plastic handles are OK. Plastic plant pots are also accepted free of charge.
Tin cans