Basic recycling list
Brush up on the basics to make sure you're recycling the right stuff. See our recycling guide (PDF) for the list of what's accepted. These items can be sorted properly at recycling facilities and made into new products. The guide also includes the most important items to leave out because they cause problems in the recycling process.
Find a detailed list of accepted and not accepted items below.
Detailed recycling guidelines
Material type: Plastic
Preparation tips: Empty, rinse, and replace cap. Do not crush.
A note on plastic types: Did you know there are seven types of plastics? This is what the number 1 - 7 printed on a plastic item tells you. Although the triangle looks like a recycling symbol, it only tells you what type of plastic an item is, not if or how you can recycle it. Plastic bottles, jugs, and containers with a number 1, 2, and 5 are generally accepted in your recycling at home because there are good markets for recycling these items.
Accepted
#1, 2, and 5 containers, bottles, and jugs such as:
- Clear berry and produce containers
- Clear plastic egg cartons
- Dishwashing and laundry detergent bottles and jugs
- Ketchup and salad dressing bottles
- Margarine, cottage cheese, cream cheese and other tubs and lids
- Milk and juice jugs
- Soda, juice, and water bottles
- Yogurt, pudding, and fruit cups
Not accepted
- #3, #4, #6, #7 plastic
- Black containers and bottles
- Bulky rigid plastics (such as kiddie pools, laundry baskets, and window blinds)
- Chip bags, granola bar and candy wrappers
- Clear, rigid packaging from toys, electronics, and other products
- Foam blocks
- Foam egg cartons
- Garden hoses
- Keurig or Nestle cups
- Loose plastic bottle caps
- Meal prep packaging
- Mesh plastic bags
- Microwaveable food trays
- Motor oil bottles and other containers that held hazardous products
- Plastic bags, film, and wrap
- Plastic gloves
- Plastic straws
- Pouches (like for snack foods, purees, or granola)
- Pumps and sprayer tops from bottles
- Random small plastic items such as contact lens cases and floss containers
- Sauce or condiment cups
- Small prescription pill bottles
- Styrofoam™ and foam cartons
- Toys
- Tyvek envelopes
- Utensils (forks, knives, spoons)
Material type: Paper
Preparation tips: Empty and flatten boxes. Must be dry.
Accepted
- Cardboard
- Cardboard cans (such as oatmeal containers)
- Cardboard tubes from toilet paper, tissue, and paper towels (only the inner cardboard tube is recyclable, not the paper on the roll)
- Cereal and cracker boxes
- Clean pizza delivery boxes (check with your city or hauler for specific rules)
- Freezer boxes (most boxes today are pure boxboard without a plastic lining or plastic fibers, making them recyclable - check with your city or hauler for specific rules)
- Magazines, catalogs, newspapers, and inserts
- Mail, office, and school papers
- Phone books and other soft cover books
- Refrigerator boxes
- Shoe boxes, gift boxes and electronic boxes
- Toothpaste, medication, and other toiletry boxes
- Unlined Kraft paper (such as paper used for shipping padding and paper grocery bags, flatten for best results)
Not accepted
- Cardboard cans with metal lids
- Greeting cards that are shiny, or contain aluminum foil or plastic
- Hardcover books
- Lined Kraft bags
- Napkins or paper towels
- Paper berry cartons
- Paper cups, plates, and bowls
- Paper egg cartons
- Paper soiled with food
- Shipping envelopes padded with bubble-wrap
- Shredded paper (shredded paper should not be put in your curbside bin; however, some businesses and cities offer shredding services or special recycling options. Check with your city or search for shredding services for more information).
- Tissue paper
- Waxed cardboard
- Wrapping paper
Material type: Glass
Preparation tips: Empty and rinse.
A note on caps: Replace metals caps that can be screwed on. Any caps that are plastic or made of a mix of materials should go in the trash. Smaller metal caps (i.e., bottle caps) that cannot be replaced can be collected in a steel can (like a soup can) that is squeezed shut before it's put in the recycling. Otherwise metal bottle caps can be thrown in the trash.
Accepted
- Food and beverage bottles and jars
- Mason jars
Not accepted
- Ceramics
- Drinking glasses
- Glass bakeware
- Glass dishes
- Light bulbs
- Mirrors
- Vases
- Window glass
Material type: Cartons
Preparation tips: Empty and rinse. Do not flatten. Remove and throw away caps and straws.
Accepted
- Juice boxes
- Milk and juice cartons, including half gallon, quart, and individual sizes
- Refrigerated and shelf-stable cartons such as soup, broth and wine cartons
Not accepted
- Ice cream cartons
- Plastic-lined paper takeout cartons
Material type: Metal
Preparation tips: Empty, rinse, and remove lid. Do not crush metal cans and containers. Place loose metal lids inside can and pinch opening of can closed, if possible, to keep lids inside. For aluminum foil, remove all food and roll into a ball at least as large as a softball.
Accepted
- Decorative popcorn and cookie tins
- Food and beverage cans
- Aluminum foil (must be clean and balled)
- Aluminum trays, tins, or pie tins (must be clean)
Not accepted
- Aerosols containing either hazardous or non-hazardous materials (such as shaving cream, hairspray, and paint)
- Batteries
- Containers that held hazardous products such as paint thinner
- Holiday and string lights
- Loose metal caps
- Paint cans
- Pressurized cylinders like propane and helium tanks
- Scrap metal, such as pots and pans, hangers, shelves, nails, auto parts, pipes, and poles
- Wire