How To Separate Your Recycling

Rinse glass bottles, plastic containers, and aluminum and tin cans. Labels do not have to be removed. Recycle the plastic caps of water and soda bottles, but toss the ones from laundry detergent and food containers.

In general, containers that held food, beverages, household cleaners, or personal care products like shampoo and mouthwash are all recyclable. Separate plastic; glass; aluminum, tin, and aerosol cans; and aluminum foil.

Contact your local sanitation department for instructions on how to dispose of anything that held potentially hazardous material such as motor oil, pesticides, paint, solvents, and batteries.

Place together all newspapers, magazines, catalogs, junk mail, letters, envelopes, and promotional advertisements. Be sure to keep all paper dry.

Remove any tape from cardboard boxes and brown paper bags before flattening them. Check if items like pizza and cereal boxes are recycled in your area. If they are, include them, too.

Find out when your city picks up recycling – sometimes on a different day from when garbage is collected – so you know when to leave those bins and boxes by the curb.