Trash Can Riddles: 30 Riddles with Answers (Plus Scavenger Hunt Clues)

I have a big mouth, but I never talk. I swallow wrappers, peels and crumbs, and I never get a tummy ache. What am I?

I sit on top of the trash can like a hat. Lift me up to throw something away, then put me back to keep the smell in. What am I?

I’m thin and stretchy, and I line the trash can. When I’m full, someone ties my top and carries me outside. What am I?

I’m yellow and slippery, and I come off before you eat the fruit inside. Don’t drop me on the floor! Toss me in the compost instead. What am I?

I rumble down your street once a week, beep when I back up, and lift bins with a big arm. What am I?

I’m trash that someone dropped on the ground instead of putting in a bin. What am I called?

Who drives the big truck, empties the bins and keeps the whole neighborhood clean, even on cold, rainy mornings?

I’m a masked bandit with a ringed tail. At night, I tip over trash cans looking for snacks. What am I?

Why was the trash can always a little sad?

What did the trash can say to the garbage truck?

I’m a heap of fruit peels, eggshells, leaves and coffee grounds. Over a few months, I turn into dark, rich soil for the garden. What am I?

I’m a wriggly helper in a compost bin. I eat food scraps and leave behind something gardeners call “black gold.” What am I?

I’m three arrows chasing each other in a triangle loop. You’ll find me printed on bottles, boxes and bins. What am I?

I’m a shiny drink can. If you recycle me, I can be melted, made into a new can and be back on the store shelf in about two months. What metal am I?

You can melt me down and make me into a new jar or bottle again and again, and I never wear out. What am I?

I’m a soft, warm jacket. Some versions of me are made from recycled plastic bottles that were shredded, melted and spun into thread. What am I?

Three words remind you how to make less trash. The first means “use less,” the second means “use again,” and the third means “turn into something new.” What are they?

I’m a giant metal bin behind stores and apartment buildings. A special truck lifts me with two big forks. What am I?

I’m a huge, carefully built place where garbage trucks unload trash. The trash is spread out, packed down and covered with soil, layer after layer. What am I?

Why do recycling centers ask you to rinse yogurt cups before you toss them in the bin?

I’m a short word for a container. You can find me hiding inside “robin” and “cabinet.” What am I?

Three bins are labeled “Paper,” “Plastic” and “Mixed,” but every label is wrong. You may pull out just one item from one bin. Which bin should you choose to fix all three labels?

A family recycles 12 bottles every week. How many bottles is that in one year?

Paper can be recycled again and again, but not forever. Why does it finally stop being useful?

A garbage truck driver goes the wrong way down a one-way street, right past two police officers, and doesn’t get in trouble. Why not?

I arrive at your door full and leave your house empty and flat. Squash me down so I fit in the bin with the three arrows. What am I?

I sit under a desk and catch crumpled paper and pencil shavings. Your next clue is taped to my side. What am I?

I’m a bin, but I don’t want your banana peels. Give me clean bottles, cans and paper so they can become something new. Check behind me for your next clue. What am I?

Open my doors under the faucet, and you’ll often find the kitchen trash can hiding inside me. Your next clue is waiting on my door. What am I?

I’m the room where the big outdoor garbage bins wait for trash day, and the car sleeps here at night too. Search near the bins for your last clue. Where am I?