Cardboard Recycling in Madison, AL

Madison homes can recycle flattened cardboard in the free monthly RANA blue cart, or put collapsed, bundled boxes out for Republic Services trash pickup.

See all 3 options

Illustrative item photographKadarius Seegars / Unsplash

Checked October 26, 2026 · Call before you go · How we check

3 ways to get rid of a cardboard in Madison

Tap an option to see the address, hours, cost and rules.

CurbCycle PickupPickup from your home · MadisonNo haulingWe recycle it for youFrom $80.00
How it works
Book online, set out your cardboard and we’ll pick it up and recycle it for you. You see your price before you book and pay only after pickup.
Book a pickup →
Recycling Alliance of North Alabama (RANA) curbside recyclingCity service · Madison CountyMadison County residentsFree
How it works
Opt-in monthly curbside recycling (95-gallon cart) run by the Recycling Alliance of North Alabama, a division of the Solid Waste Disposal Authority of the City of Huntsville. Free for single-family homes in Madison County, including Huntsville and Madison (and the parts of those cities in Limestone County). Residents must sign up. Takes paper, cans, #1/#2 bottles and flattened cardboard; no glass.
Cost & rules
- Sign up for a RANA cart first; single-family homes only; pickup is monthly.
- Before you go: Flatten cardboard, keep it clean and dry, and place it loose in the cart.
Official page (opens in new tab)
Madison trash service for large items (Republic Services)Pickup service · MadisonMadison residentsCost not listed
How it works
Republic Services, under contract with the City of Madison, collects yard debris and large items at the curb on a weekly schedule: couches, tables and chairs, mattresses, refrigerators, washers, dryers and flattened cardboard, up to 5 cubic yards per household per week. It does not take paint, batteries, TVs, computers, microwaves or tires.
Cost & rules
- Before you go: Collapse, empty and bundle cardboard boxes.
Official page (opens in new tab)

Before you go

Check whether you have corrugated boxes, coated packaging or mixed materials.
Remove foam, plastic and other packing inserts.
Flatten boxes and check quantity limits for your program.

More about cardboard

Alabama rules

ADEM says that where curbside pickup is offered, waste too large for the regular trash container can be set at the curb for disposal; services vary by city and county. Source: ADEM: Unauthorized Waste Dump and Scrap Tire Sites fact sheet (PDF, September 2021) (opens in new tab)
Alabama's 2008 Solid Wastes and Recyclable Materials Management Act set a statewide disposal fee of $1 per ton (or $0.25 per cubic yard) on all solid waste landfilled in the state. Source: ADEM: Recycling Program (opens in new tab)

More Alabama rules (5)

The 2008 act set a statewide solid waste reduction goal of 25%. Source: ADEM: Recycling Program (opens in new tab)
ADEM's Alabama Recycling Fund Grants reimburse local governments to start and improve recycling programs; recycling services themselves are run locally. Source: ADEM: Recycling Program (opens in new tab)
ADEM does not site landfills; locating a landfill is a local decision approved by local government. Source: ADEM: Solid Waste Disposal in Alabama fact sheet (PDF, January 2008) (opens in new tab)
In Alabama, waste generated by a household is exempt from regulation as hazardous waste. Source: ADEM: Household Hazardous Waste - Management of used oil (PDF, May 2018) (opens in new tab)
ADEM points residents to reuse, recycling and household hazardous waste collection programs as alternatives to landfill disposal. Source: ADEM: Household Hazardous Waste - Management of used oil (PDF, May 2018) (opens in new tab)

Where this information comes from (17)

Where this information comes from

Checked October 26, 2026

Recycling Alliance of North Alabama - RANA (opens in new tab) · Recycling Alliance of North Alabama (Solid Waste Disposal Authority of the City of Huntsville)
- RANA is a division of the Solid Waste Disposal Authority of the City of Huntsville running opt-in monthly curbside recycling for Madison County residents, including the cities and towns therein. Checked October 26, 2026.
- Single-family residents in Madison County, plus Huntsville and Madison residents in Limestone County, are eligible; commercial and multi-family properties are not served. Checked October 26, 2026.
- RANA does not provide curbside recycling to commercial or multi-family properties. Checked October 26, 2026.
- Accepted loose in the cart: #1 and #2 narrow-neck bottles, aluminum and steel cans, paper and flattened cardboard. Checked October 26, 2026.
Madison County Waste Control & Recycling (opens in new tab) · Madison County Commission, Alabama
- Madison County says RANA curbside recycling is a free service for all Madison County residents; residents must sign up on the RANA website or call 256-801-2278. Checked October 26, 2026.
Items for Pick-Up (recycling) (opens in new tab) · City of Huntsville, Alabama
- In Huntsville, RANA collects curbside recycling once a month in a 95-gallon cart; cardboard must be clean, dry and broken down to fit in the cart. Checked October 26, 2026.
Garbage and Trash Service (opens in new tab) · City of Madison, Alabama
- Republic Services provides Madison's trash service for yard debris and large items, including appliances (washers, refrigerators) and collapsed, bundled cardboard boxes. Checked October 26, 2026.
Citizens of Madison trash guidelines (Republic Services brochure, rev. 8/16/2019) (opens in new tab) · City of Madison, Alabama
- Republic picks up 5 cubic yards per household once a week. Checked October 26, 2026.
- Cardboard boxes must be flattened, broken down and emptied. Checked October 26, 2026.
Recycling (opens in new tab) · City of Madison, Alabama
- Madison says RANA blue-cart recycling is free for all Madison single-family residences (in Madison and Limestone counties), picked up monthly. Checked October 26, 2026.
ADEM: Unauthorized Waste Dump and Scrap Tire Sites fact sheet (PDF, September 2021) (opens in new tab) · Alabama Department of Environmental Management
- ADEM says that where curbside pickup is offered, waste too large for the regular trash container can be set at the curb for disposal; services vary by city and county. Checked October 26, 2026.
ADEM: Recycling Program (opens in new tab) · Alabama Department of Environmental Management
- Alabama's 2008 Solid Wastes and Recyclable Materials Management Act set a statewide disposal fee of $1 per ton (or $0.25 per cubic yard) on all solid waste landfilled in the state. Checked October 26, 2026.
- The 2008 act set a statewide solid waste reduction goal of 25%. Checked October 26, 2026.
- ADEM's Alabama Recycling Fund Grants reimburse local governments to start and improve recycling programs; recycling services themselves are run locally. Checked October 26, 2026.
ADEM: Solid Waste Disposal in Alabama fact sheet (PDF, January 2008) (opens in new tab) · Alabama Department of Environmental Management
- ADEM does not site landfills; locating a landfill is a local decision approved by local government. Checked October 26, 2026.
ADEM: Household Hazardous Waste - Management of used oil (PDF, May 2018) (opens in new tab) · Alabama Department of Environmental Management
- In Alabama, waste generated by a household is exempt from regulation as hazardous waste. Checked October 26, 2026.
- ADEM points residents to reuse, recycling and household hazardous waste collection programs as alternatives to landfill disposal. Checked October 26, 2026.

“Checked” means we read the official page on that date. Things can change, so call before you go.

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