Methodology
How we source information
Every listing starts from an official source: a municipal sanitation or public works department, a state environmental agency, a state stewardship program (like PaintCare), or a retailer's or manufacturer's own published recycling program page. We do not use Earth911, Yelp, Google Maps, or other recycling directories as a source, those aggregate the same primary sources we go to directly, and copying from them would just add a layer of possible drift from the original.
What "verified" means
Every listing shows a status. Verified means we confirmed the specific detail (address, hours, accepted items) directly against that facility or program's own official page. Needs confirmation means we found the fact from a credible source but couldn't independently cross-check it against the primary official page, treat these as a starting point, not a guarantee, and call ahead. Fields we couldn't confirm at all are left blank and marked "Contact the facility to confirm" rather than filled in with a guess.
How coverage expands
We launched with a small, deeply verified set of locations rather than a large, thin one, accuracy comes before page count. Coverage expands in the direction Google Search Console shows real search demand, not by mass-generating pages for every city and item combination. See the README's expansion rule if you're curious how that works operationally.
How updates happen
Every listing carries a "last verified" date. We aim to re-check listings on a roughly six-month cadence, prioritizing pages that get real traffic first. Facilities can close or change policies between checks. That's exactly why every page repeats the same reminder: confirm details with the facility before traveling.
Corrections and removals
Anyone can flag a problem through Suggest a Correction. Every submission is reviewed by a person against the original source (or a new one, if the submitter provides one) before anything on the site changes, nothing auto-publishes. If a facility is confirmed closed or a program confirmed discontinued, we remove it rather than leave it live with a warning label.
What we don't do
We don't invent facilities, addresses, hours, fees, or policies. We don't publish ratings or reviews. We don't give disposal instructions for hazardous materials beyond what an official source actually says. If you think something here crosses one of those lines, tell us at hello@greenorbyt.com.