The following items can
be Recycled:
(Remember all containers
must be empty, clean of
food, and rinsed. Labels
do NOT have to be
removed.)
Glass:
Any glass container that
contained food or
beverages is acceptable,
regardless of color.
Examples are iced tea and
soda bottles, food jars
(baby food, spaghetti
sauce, juice, jelly,
pickle, salad dressing,
and vegetable oil jars),
and beer, wine, and liquor
bottles.
Metal Cans:
Tin cans, steel cans and
tin plated food and
beverage containers of all
sizes, (including metal
lids from both cans and
jars), such as pet food,
soup, tuna, juice, fruit
and vegetable cans, spice
cans as well as tins from
cookies, fruit cakes,
popcorn, and bandage
containers.
Aluminum Cans:
Used aluminum beverage
containers (soda, beer,
juice and tea cans, to
name a few) and foil
(clean of food).
Foil Containers:
TV dinner trays and other
foil packaging.
Plastics:
Plastic recycling is
easy. You just have to
look for the PET or PETE 1
and HDPE 2 triangular
symbols on the container,
Examples are: milk jugs,
plastic soft drinks,
water, sports drinks,
mouthwash bottles, beer,
catsup, salad dressing,
peanut butter, jelly and
jam, cooking oil,
cosmetic, shampoo, dish
and laundry detergent
bottles, yogurt and sour
cream containers (be sure
and check—sometimes only
the lid is recyclable, but
not the container), pill
bottles, bleach bottles,
and containers from baby
wipes and many household
cleaners.
Corrugated Cardboard:
Two rigid outer layers
and a wavy interlayer,
typically light brown in
color, although may have
printed or colored outer
layer. Commonly used
for moving and shipping
materials of all sizes,
such as furniture, food,
appliances, etc.
Cardboard Preparation
Follow
these 3 basic rules to
assure cardboard is
collected by recycling
crews:
- Flatten all clean
cardboard boxes
- Cut or tear (do not
fold) to fit inside your
recycle bin. Why not
folded? Because
anything wider than 24
inches may cause
material to jam and
prevent material from
emptying properly into
recycling trucks.
Folded corrugated
cardboard may wedge
inside the loading
mechanism of the
recycling truck, causing
equipment to jam.
- Contain the
cardboard in your
recycling bin if there
is room. Paperboard
(cereal type) boxes,
should be flattened and
placed in the paper bag
with
newspapers/magazines and
other paper or placed in
the bin itself. Cut or
tear (do not fold) to
fit inside your recycle
bin.
If there is room, put
corrugated cardboard in
the recycling bin. OR
stack the corrugated
cardboard that has been
cut or torn to the
correct size, neatly
under your recycling
bin. By putting the
recycling bin on top of
the stacked cardboard,
it will act as a natural
weight for the material
and will indicate to the
recycling crew that the
material has been
prepared for recycling
collection.
If cardboard is left by
your recycling crew, the
following are possible
reasons why it was not
collected:
- Recycling bin not at
curb on collection day
with the cardboard boxes
- Boxes not flattened
and haphazardly placed
at the curb
- Boxes contaminated
by food or trash.
- Boxes too big, not
cut or torn to correct
width.
Unacceptable
cardboard:
•
Pizza delivery boxes
(food contamination)
• Milk cartons
• Boxes having
Styrofoam, foil, plastic
or other material
attached
• Overly wet boxes,
which are falling apart
or have become soft or
spongy
• Boxes not flattened
and emptied of contents
Paper:
Newspapers and inserts,
advertising circulars,
magazines, catalogues,
home telephone books,
computer and office
paper, paperback books,
unwanted mail (be
careful with personal
information), office
paper, file folders,
printed paper, school
papers, calendars,
envelopes, paper that
has been shredded (be
sure it is secured in a
paper bag), and paper
bags. Please practice
“responsible recycling”
and double check to
insure that all
materials to be recycled
will not blow away.
Place ALL
your paper and cardboard
on TOP of your other bin
materials.
This helps the crew
place the paper products
in a separate part of
the truck
Unacceptable
Paperboard, Chipboard
and Paper:
Waxed paper and waxed
boxes, gift wrap (which
has too much ink on it
and, therefore, the
mills do not want it),
carbon paper, beverage
containers such as milk
or juice cartons which
are wax or plastic
coated, paper towels,
napkins, paper plates
and cups and cardboard
which is soiled or
greasy.
Other
Unacceptable Items:
Motor oil, antifreeze
and Tidy Cat containers
(this product clogs the
machinery, AND it is not
a recyclable type
plastic), black
restaurant and frozen
food trays, flower pots
or trays, soaked or
extremely yellowed
newspaper, wet or
previously wet
magazines. Styrofoam
containers or packing
pellets, and plastic
grocery bags
CANNOT be
recycled. Plastic
grocery bags can be
taken to your local
supermarket or discount
store to be recycled.
Both Kroger and Schnucks have
collection containers
located at their
entrance where you can
drop off all plastic
grocery bags.