Preparing Recyclables

Glass bottles, jars and motor oil must be kept separate from other recyclables.

• Glass Bottles and Jars
  Rinse clean. Place in a recycling bin, paper bags or bucket. Keep separate from other recyclables. No window glass, pyrex, ceramics, cookware, vases or drinking glasses.
• Motor Oil
  Pour used motor oil into a marked, unbreakable, leak-proof container (no larger than two gallons) with a screw top lid. Place next to your recycling bin.

Recycle paper, cardboard, metal cans, aerosol cans, scrap metal, plastic bottles, and plastic tubs together. *

• Newspaper, Magazines, Catalogs
  Just place in the bin. You no longer need to bag.
• Scrap Paper
  Bag if needed for litter control. Include opened unwanted mail (remove non-paper items), cereal & shoe boxes, wrapping paper, etc. Do Not include paper with food residue (like pizza boxes), tissue paper, paper towels, napkins, frozen food boxes, or paper coated in wax, foil or plastic.
• Corrugated Cardboard & Brown Paper Bags
  Flatten boxes; place in or next to recycling container. Cardboard should be no larger than 3' X 3' wide.
• Aerosol Cans
  Empty the can through normal use, discard the plastic cap. Do not flatten, puncture, or remove the nozzle.
• Metal Cans (steel & aluminum)
  Rinse clean. You no longer need to remove both ends, but flattening can help save space on the truck.
• Scrap Metal
  Include all metal which is smaller than 30 inches long and less than 30 lbs. Remove all non-metal parts.
• Clean Plastic Bottles, Tubs, Buckets, and Nursery Pots (No Lids)
  Include plastic bottles and tubs, 6 oz. and larger, buckets no larger than 5 gallons, and rigid nursery pots 4” and larger (no dirt).

* Some situations require recycling to be picked up by the garbage truck and placed in side bins or in the cab. In this case, items may be commingled, but they all must be bagged or tied. You will receive information from your collector if this is required.

Recycling only works if you do your part!

Only properly prepared items can be put back into the market place where they become the raw materials manufacturers use to make new products. Remember, recyclables are not garbage and garbage is not recyclable.

• Recyclables
  Only the clean, properly prepared items listed above. Recycling these into new products saves energy, reduces pollution and preserves resources for future uses.
• Garbage
  Everything else. If you put out items that are not on the list of approved materials for recycling they will be left. If the recycling collector takes this material to the processor, they are charged for it as garbage, driving up the costs to provide services.

Many Plastics Are NOT Recyclable in Our Program

• NO plastic bags and film
  (Recycle shopping bags at grocery stores)
• NO Styrofoam® packaging, peanuts, trays and take-out containers
  (Foam peanuts may be taken to a mailing service for reuse.)
• NO clear “clamshells” and bakery containers
• NO plastic trays, cups, plates, and silverware
• NO toys and large plastic items
• NO blister packaging (tough, clear, product-shaped, display plastic)
• NO biodegradable plastics
• NO food contaminated plastics
• NO hazardous material and motor oil bottles

Help Your Recycling Collector and the Processors

• Rinse milk jugs
  Milk jugs mus be empty and rinsed out.
• No food contaminated items
  this includes pizza boxes, unclean jars, cans, bottles, and tubs.
• No light bulbs, drinking glasses, ceramics or cookware
  A small amount of contaminants can cause manufacturers to reject an entire load of recycling, which then may end up as garbage. This adds to the cost of collecting and processing your materials, which could cause an increase in garbage fees.