Plastic recycling
How to Recycle PVC Pipes (#3)
Polyvinyl chloride pipe, fittings, siding, and some rigid containers. Chlorine content and additives make PVC incompatible with PET/HDPE bottle recycling streams, so household programs exclude it.
Special handling#3 PVCUpdated Jul 2026
Quick answer
PVC (#3) is not accepted in household curbside recycling. Reuse clean pipe offcuts when you can; take larger loads of clean PVC pipe and fittings to a construction and demolition (C&D) recycler or a specialty plastics buyer, and ask hardware stores or contractors about take-back.
- Recyclable
- Not curbside
- Recycling code
- #3 PVC
How to Prepare
- 1Wipe or rinse dirt and construction debris from pipe and fittings
- 2Remove metal straps, hangers, and non-PVC fittings
- 3Cut long runs into lengths your recycler will accept (often under 4-8 feet)
