| Aerosol/Spraypaint Cans |
NO |
Avoid recycling these, as small amounts of aerosols can remain within the can |
- |
| Air Filter |
NO |
Generally, these are more of a hassle to recycle than it is worth |
- |
| Aluminum Foil |
YES |
- |
- |
| Animal Bedding (Woodchips and Wood Shavings |
YES |
- |
- |
| Batteries |
YES |
Tape the terminal ends of batteries 9V or larger before recycling; Car batteries require specialized deposit locations |
Trashing batteries or depositing them into a landfill can lead to leaching of harmful chemicals into soils or local water tables |
| Boxboard/Chipboard (Cereal, Shoe, Gift Boxes) |
YES |
- |
Boxes can be repurposed |
| Boxes with Wax Coating |
NO |
If you can scratch off the coating of a box with a fingernail, it is unacceptable for recycling |
- |
| Brightly Colored Paper |
NO |
Avoid recycling neon colored papers; dyes and pigments can be released causing discolored products |
- |
| Brown Paper Bags |
YES |
- |
- |
| CDs or DVDs |
NO |
- |
- |
| Ceramic/Ovenware/Dishware |
NO |
- |
- |
| Chip Bags |
NO |
Avoid recycling chip bags unless recyclability is explicitly stated on the bag |
- |
| Compact Fluorescent/LED Light Bulbs |
YES |
- |
Recycling CFLs and LED lights prevents the release of mercury into the hydrosphere and biosphere |
| Cosmetics |
NO |
Proper disposal of cosmetics can be achieved by special drop-off programs at local grocery or department stores |
- |
| Crystal |
NO |
- |
- |
| Fallen Tree Branches |
NO |
Keep all yard litter and leaves out of recycling repositories - Compost these instead |
- |
| Flower Pots |
NO |
- |
- |
| Fruit Peels/Rinds |
NO |
Compost these! Putting food or liquid into recycling bins attracts rats, flies, and other unwanted guests |
Do NOT ever place food, liquid, or items with food residue into a recycling bin! |
| Glass (Clear, Blue, Brown, Green) |
YES* |
About 61% of glass containers produced in the U.S. are clear, 31% are brown, and 7% green; *Green glass can only be recycled into more green glass, and other brightly colored glasses cannot be repurposed |
- |
| Hangers (Wire, Plastic, Wood) |
NO* |
*Check with your local recycling facility to see if they take wire hangers; Plastic hangers are very difficult to recycle efficiently and wood hangers cannot be recycled |
Hangers are better to only reduce and reuse... not recycle! |
| Hardback Books |
NO |
Hardbound books usually have adhesive or a binding agent in the spine that makes recycling difficult |
Donate unused books to others who can read them |
| Incandescent "Old Style" Lightbulbs |
NO |
Incandescent light bulbs contain metal parts and are not recyclable; Dispose of these in your garbage |
Consider switching to Compact Fluorescent Bulbs (CFLs), as they can save you an estimated $90-100 over the 10,000-hour lifespan of the CFL bulb |
| Ink Pens |
NO |
- |
- |
| Juice Boxes/Milk Cartons |
NO* |
*If the juice box or milk carton contains a shiny, waxy coating, then do not recycle these items |
- |
| Liquid Soap Bottles |
YES |
- |
- |
| Magazines |
YES |
- |
- |
| Margarine Tubs |
YES |
- |
- |
| Mattresses |
YES |
- |
About 90% of a single mattress can be successfully recycled! The steel coils inside the mattress can even make you some pocket change at your local recycling center |
| Medicine Bottles |
NO |
Proper disposal of medication and their containers is imperative to preventing health risks for animals in the environment and humans in the waste disposal industry |
- |
| Metal Caps from Glass Jars (Mason Jar lids) |
YES* |
*Metal caps must be placed in recycling bins separate from their jars |
- |
| Metal Food Cans |
YES |
- |
- |
| Mirror Glass |
NO |
Once glass has been turned into a mirror, it cannot be recycled; Dispose of broken glass safely into your garbage bin |
- |
| Newspaper |
YES |
- |
- |
| Paper |
YES |
- |
- |
| Paper Egg Cartons |
NO |
Paper Egg Cartons have usually been recycled several times before, and the fibers within the carton are rendered weak, making them bad contenders for recycling |
- |
| Pizza Boxes with Food Residue |
NO |
If you refuse to take the time to clean the pizza box, then do not recycle it; If grease stains are present in the box, dispose of it in the garbage bin |
Do NOT ever place food or liquid into a recycling bin! |
| Plastic Bottle Caps |
YES* |
*Check with your local recycling agency - earlier in the 21st century, bottle caps needed to be separated from their bottles, but some places do not require this anymore |
- |
| Plastic Grocery Bags |
NO |
- |
- |
| Plastic Toys |
NO |
- |
Donate or repurpose these items! |
| Pots/Pans/Kitchen Utensils |
YES |
- |
Donate or repurpose these items! |
| Pyrex/Heat Resistant Glass |
NO |
- |
If these glasses and dishes are made to withstand up to 500 degree Fahrenheit heat in the oven, imagine trying to recycle them! |
| Shredded Paper |
NO! |
! - Shredded paper is one of the products most commonly disposed of improperly; Shredding paper destroys the fibers that make recycling paper worthwhile - If you shred paper, then throw it away |
- |
| Styrofoam |
NO |
- |
- |
| Thin Paper Cups |
NO |
- |
- |
| Tire shrapnel |
NO |
Tires prove to be one of the most difficult materials to recycle |
- |
| Used Napkins |
NO |
- |
Do NOT ever place food, liquid, or items with food residue into a recycling bin! |
| Used Paper Plates |
NO |
- |
Do NOT ever place food or liquid, or items with food residue into a recycling bin! |
| Used Tissues/Kleenex |
NO |
- |
Do NOT ever place materials with bodily fluids into a recycling bin! |
| Wax Paper |
NO |
- |
- |
| Wrapping Paper |
NO |
The waxy coating on wrapping paper makes recycling this material difficult to recycle and cost prohibitive |
Use it next Christmas! |
| Yard Clippings |
NO |
Keep all yard litter / leaves out of recycling repositories; Compost these instead |
- |
