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What to Recycle
Glass
• Paper
• Metal
• Plastic
• Household Batteries
Automotive Products
 Following these guidelines will help make sure that you efforts are not
wasted. Take time to prepare recyclables properly or it will not be possible
to recycle them -- they will be landfilled if dirty, wet or not acceptable.
A good rule of thumb is "IF IN DOUBT, LEAVE IT OUT."
Glass
- Glass -
Glass beverage and food containers should be rinsed well and lids removed, labels can be left
on. Clear glass is more widely collected than colored glass. Sort by color
(clear, brown/amber, and green) if required. Do NOT recycle pyrex (baking
dishes), ceramics (cups, plates or saucers), light bulbs, mirrors, window glass,
and other non-container glass.
Paper
- Newspaper -
Newspapers should not be mixed with magazines, junk mail or other papers unless
required by your recycling program. Place newspaper in the designated container
(in some cases that may be a brown paper bag) or a separate bin. Don't leave on
the ground beside the bin or put curbside on a rainy day -- wet newspaper is not
recycled, it is landfilled.
- Corrugated cardboard -
Corrugated cardboard is collected in
many programs. Corrugated is the thick brown box material that many products are
shipped in. It gets its name from the layered and corrugated make up of the box.
Boxes should be flattened before recycling, tape and label can remain. Do not
include if covered with food residues.
- Paperboard, boxboard or chipboard -
Paperboard or box board
is the material that is used in cereal boxes, boxed food packaging, beverage
containers for canned drinks, detergent boxes, etc. Often this material is
referred to as "cardboard" but in the recycling industry - it is different than
corrugated cardboard. Some recycling programs allow this to be mixed with
corrugated cardboard, many do not. Do not include if covered with food residues.
Check with you local program for acceptability.
- Magazines and catalogs -
Magazines and catalogs can be
recycled, however not all programs accept them. The market or buyers of
magazines and catalogs are less numerous than for other types of paper. Check
with your local program for availability.
- Junk mail -
Junk mail can be recycled, however not all
programs accept them. The nature of this material is a lower quality material,
due to the variability of the paper. Check with your local program for
availability.
- White office and computer paper -
White office, computer and
school paper is easily recycled. Many offices and schools collect these grades
of paper for recycling.
- Brown paper bags -
Brown or kraft paper bags are recyclable.
If your program collect corrugated cardboard for recycling they probably also
accept brown paper bags.
- Other paper -
Mixed paper or colored paper may be collected
for recycling, but this materials is a lower quality material, due to the
variability of the paper. Check with you local program.
- Telephone books -
Many community collect old telephone books
annually. Collection events are timed around the time that new phone books
arrive. Look in the information pages of your phone book for recycling
opportunities or contact your local recycling program.
Metal
- Aluminum -
Aluminum of all types can be recycled. However,
some recycling centers or programs do not accept aluminum foil, pans,
old
chairs, siding, etc. Check with your recycling center.
- Steel or Tin
Cans - Steel and tin-coated cans are recycled in many programs. Labels do not
need to be removed, but cans should be rinsed with no food residue present.
Plastic
Some plastic is accepted in many recycling programs. The most widely
recycled plastics are soda bottles and milk jugs. Plastics are coded with
numbers to help identify the type of resin in the plastic. Remove caps and
lids, empty, and flatten. Plastics coded with numbers 3 - 7 are NOT
accepted for recycling in most programs.
- Soda and Water Bottles Jugs -
Soda and water bottles are coded number 1- PET. Some "specialty PET" may
be accepted too,
these would include salad dressing bottles, sports drinks, and juices. New PET
bottles are showing up that are not recyclable, at this time. These include
colored shampoo bottles, amber plastic juice bottles, and the new plastic beer
bottle being marketed in some areas.
- Milk Jugs -
Translucent milk jugs, coded number 2 - HDPE are accepted in many programs.
- Other Bottles -
Colored number 2 - HDPE plastic may be accepted in your area. These would include detergent bottles,
bleach bottles, and some juice bottles.
- Plastic Containers -
Margarine tubs, yogurt and cottage cheese containers and other plastic "tub or wide mouth" type
containers are not accepted in any recycling program - no matter what the
number on them. One rule to remember is "if the top is smaller than
the bottom, or if it has a neck" and is coded 1 or 2, it probably is an
acceptable plastic.
- Plastic bags - many of the stores that use
plastic bags accept them for recycling.
- Six Pack Rings - Plastic six-pack rings can
be recycled. ITW Hi Cone, a company that makes the rings, has a school
collection program in place. Visit the
Ring Tree Recycling Program web site for more information.
Household Batteries
- Rechargeable batteries - Rechargeable "Ni-Cd" batteries can be recycled. These
batteries are commonly found in power tools, cellular phones, cordless phones
and camcorders. Look for the EPA Certified RBRC Battery Recycling Seal on the
battery. The battery will also be labeled "Ni-Cd." Many retailers that sell
products that use "Ni-Cd" batteries participate in recycling collection programs
for them. Or visit the web site of the
Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation
- Single use household batteries - most of
these type of batteries (AA through D's) are not recycled. If there is a household
chemical collection facility in your community, check to see if batteries
are accepted. If not available, dispose of these batteries in your regular
household solid waste.
Automotive
- Oil - Used motor oil can be recycled. Used
oil should be drained into a clean container, (don't mix with antifreeze or
other contaminants), and taken to a service station, recycling center or oil
recycler. Old oil doesn't wear out it just gets dirty. One gallon of used oil
provides the same 2.5 quarts of lubricating oil as 42 gallons of crude oil.
- Lead acid
batteries - In Arkansas, when a new battery is purchased and an old battery
is not returned, a $10 fee is charged. Upon return of an old battery to the
retailer, the $10 is returned to the consumer. This provides an incentive
for people to return old lead acid batteries for recycling. Most
battery retailers accept old batteries. If you are located in a state other
than Arkansas, please check with your local battery dealers for recycling
opportunities in your area.
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