Recycle

Glass containers – including clear and colored jars and bottles. Empty, rinse and drain. Remove caps and lids. No need to remove labels.

Cardboard and paperboard – corrugated boxes and paperboard such as tubes and cereal, cracker and shoeboxes. Remove non-paper items from boxes. Flatten to save space. Keep clean and dry.

Newspapers and magazines – It’s okay to stack in paper grocery bags or tie with string. Keep clean and dry.

Paper – including phonebooks, junk mail and other clean paper items. (Dirty paper plates, food boxes, napkins, etc. should be thrown away.)

Plastic bottles and jugs – small mouth jugs and bottles that have a #1 or #2 symbol. Remove caps, lids, pumps, metal. Flatten to save space. No motor oil containers.

Aluminum and steel food and beverage cans – Empty, rinse and drain. No need to remove labels.

Glass items other than food and beverage containers: plates, cups, saucers, drinking glasses, baking dishes, flower pots, window panes, light bulbs, etc.

Fluorescent bulbs, mercury containing items, household chemicals and other toxics. Read the labels and bring to the Pollution Prevention Center.

Paper items or containers that are wet or covered with food waste such as used paper towels, napkins, tissues, and soiled pizza boxes.

Plastics #3, #4, #5, #6, #7 and unmarked plastic items such as garden hoses and toys. Also no motor oil containers or cups, tubs and other wide-mouth containers.

Metal scrap items: aerosol and paint cans, aluminum foil, pie plates and loaf pans, wire hangers.

Why recycle?

Every product we use is made with natural resources. Recycling prevents the premature burial of these natural resources in a landfill. It also saves money and energy since the recycling arrives at the manufacturer’s door already partially processed.

The value of recycling is closely tied to how the recycled materials are collected, what is made from them, and whether or not a consumer is willing to buy a new product that contains recycled content. Here are ways you can participate in closing the recycling loop.

Food cans – Wash them out, but no need to remove labels.
Aluminum cans – Empty out excess liquid before recycling.
Plastic bottles and jugs – Look for a triangle on the bottom or side that has a #1 or #2 in it. Rinse out containers, throw away the lids but no need to remove labels. Plastics #3- #8 should be thrown away, since they melt at different temperatures and cause problems when tossed into the recycling mix.
Glass bottles – Rinse out, throw away lids, but no need to remove labels. All colors of glass can be included.
Cardboard boxes – Flatten boxes. Do not recycle boxes that are wet or soiled with food.
Paperboard such as cereal and shoe boxes – Take out and throw away plastic bags or other packing material before recycling paperboard boxes.
Mixed paper (including junk mail) – No need to remove paper clips or staples. Window envelopes are fine. Take out plastic bags or other non-paper material and throw that away.
Newspapers – Place in paper sacks or bundle with string. Keep dry.
Magazines, catalogs, phonebooks – Recycle them all. Keep dry.