Your Guide to Recycling
Because you asked us…
At the Recycling District, we get a lot of questions about what is and what isn’t recyclable. Here is our latest:
Paper recycling:
1) Make sure your paper is one of the following: Newspaper, magazines, telephone books, mail, printed or copier paper and chipped board (e.g.: cereal boxes).
2) Paper should be loose when placed in the bin. No glossy paper or foil wrapping paper. Christmas wrapping paper can be recycled as long as there is no glitter.
3) Paper should not be stained by waste.
4) NO SHREDDED PAPER!
Paper that is recyclable…
Cereal box
Office paper
Newspaper including inserts
Catalogs
Telephone book
Tablet paper
Soft Back Books
Magazines
Tissue boxes
Non-recyclable materials…
Feminine products
Paper towels
Dirty pizza boxes
Napkins
Shredded paper
Sticks
Grass clippings
No leaves or yard waste
No lumber
Pringle can
Cardboard Recycling:
1) Corrugated Cardboard only.
2) Cardboard should be broken down to be placed inside of the recycling bin. Tape does not need to be removed but helps if you do.
3) Cardboard should be clean and dry. All materials should be removed from inside the cardboard and thrown away. No styrofoam, bubble wrap, or any other packaging material should remain inside the flattened boxes.
4) Pizza boxes with grease on them should be thrown away. They are considered a contaminant.
5) Cereal boxes should be placed in the paper bin since they are paperboard.
Cardboard that is recyclable…
Corrugated cardboard
Shipping boxes
Non-recyclable material in the fiber bins…
Feminine products
Paper towels
Dirty pizza boxes
Napkins
Shredded paper
Sticks
Grass clippings
No leaves or yard waste
No lumber
Pringle can
Metal and Aluminum Cans:
1) All metal and aluminum cans should be clean, dry, and empty.
2) Only metal and aluminum food and beverage cans are accepted. No other metal or aluminum items will be accepted.
3) All metal and aluminum cans should be placed loosely (not in any bag or any other container) in the recycling bin.
Cans that are recyclable…
Aerosol cans
Soup cans
Veggie. Cans
Soda cans
Non-recyclable materials…
Scrap metal
Propane Tanks
Pots/pans
Bikes
Machines
Toys
Electronics
Appliances
Televisions
Ovenware
Metal Clothes Hanger
Glass Bottles and Jars:
1) All glass bottles and jars should be clean, dry, and empty. Unclean material may result in a contaminated load that is placed in the landfill. Rinsing out your glass will keep bees and other critters away.
2) Lids and caps may be kept on the glass bottle or jar. This is not a requirement.
3) Glass may be any color and should be placed loosely in the bin (No bags or containers).
4) No window panes, glassware, mirrors, or lightbulbs may be placed in this bin. These items should be thrown away in your trash.
Glass Bottles and Jars that are recyclable…
Wine bottles
Beer bottles
Spaghetti jar
Pickle jar
Food jars
Non-recyclable materials…
Light bulbs
Windows
Drinking Glassware
Plastic Bottles and Jugs:
1) Plastic bottles and jugs should be clean, dry, and empty. A quick rinse usually satisfies most containers if addressed right away.
2) All plastics should have a “neck and shoulders” to be recycled.
3) Do not use plastic numbers (Plastics #1-7) to determine if something is recyclable or not.
4) Keep your lids on the plastic bottle or jug.
5) Plastic bottles and jugs should be placed loosely
Some examples of recyclable plastics…
Water bottles, any size. I.e. gallon, liter, 16 oz
Soda bottles, any size
Any plastic soft drink bottle , any size
Plastic peanut butter jar
Laundry detergent jugs any size
Milk jugs
Small plastic milk bottles
Colored plastic soda bottles
Mustard bottle
Mayonnaise jar
Shampoo bottles
Hand soap bottles
Dish soap bottles
Creamer bottle
Bleach bottles
Household cleaner bottles
Plastics that are not recyclable…
Juice pouches
Yogurt cups
Sauce cups
Cottage cheese cups
Styrofoam of any kind
Milk cartons
Plastic straws
Wrappers
Cups lids
Plastic shopping bags and film
Bread bags
Toys
Garbage bags
Takeout containers
Clear clamshell packaging
Berry containers
Fast food cups
Coffee cups
Gardening pots
Water hose
Cat litter bucket
Bucket
Bubble wrap
Oil/antifreeze containers
Clothes hangers
Plastic utensils
So helpful! Thank you so much for this detailed list!
Absolutely! If you have any suggestions for improvement, let us know!
Could you make this list a printable document? I’d love to hang it on my fridge for easy reference 🙂
Let me see what I can do!
Can pill bottles or medicine bottles be recycled?
They must have a neck and shoulders and be larger than a credit card to be recycled.
What do you do with spray paint can that may still have paint?
Make an appointment at the Canton Recycle Center by going here: http://www.timetorecycle.org/hhw-appointments/
Can you recycle milk cartons? And would it be considered paper or plastic?
Disregard! I missed that it was listed under “do not recycle” in plastics.
All good! Thank you for commenting and asking! We would rather you ask. Enjoy your day!
Can shredded paper be accepted if it is placed in a paper bag and stapled shut OR placed in a plastic recycle bag?
No. Shredded paper must be thrown away in the trash.
Shredded paper can also be donated to some farms. Ask around to your local farmers I know of one in knox township that does this.
Why can’t shredded paper be recycled?
If it is placed in a paper bag and stapled closed, wouldn’t that be OK?
Great question and no. Not all vendors are able to take shredded paper. You can take your shredded paper to slesnick as they will accept it there but in our bins across the three counties would be considered contamination. We wish we could take everything!
Shredded paper (though perhaps not glossy-inked paper) can be an excellent addition to compost. It can also be used as a mulch in the garden.
Can Vitamin bottles be recycled?
Yes, so long as they have a neck and shoulders and are larger than a credit card.
Can plastic milk jugs be recycled?
Yes, they are plastic jug.
Do magazines need to have their staples removed?
What does “Paper should be loose when placed in the bin” mean exactly?
Staples do not need to be removed. Paper should be loose means they should not be placed inside of a bag or other form of container inside the bin. For example, I pour all of my sheets of paper meant for recycling from my plastic recycling tote into the bin so that they are loose. Does that help?
Is thee any place to recycle metal, i,e, 100% metal clothes hangers, metal kebab spears used for grilling?
Yes, you can make an appointment at the Canton Recycle Center by going here: https://www.timetorecycle.org/hhw-appointments/
So no plastics with the numbers 1-7, with the recycling arrow triangle are being recycled anywhere? Making sure I am reading this correctly.
Marlin, what we are saying is to ignore the number and focus on the shape of the plastic. We are only accepting plastic bottles and jugs. They must have neck and shoulders. If they don’t match that description, it can’t be recycled in our public drop offs and curbside recycling programs.
Any chance of occasional community paper shredding days like Summit has??
We don’t have any at the moment. The best I can tell you right now is that we can look into it.
Do you have to remove labels from plastic bottles and metal cans?
Also, do you have to remove tape from cardboard boxes?
No to all of your questions. It’s not required but but a cleaner product is always better.
I’m curious about something. Why doesn’t Ohio, or even Tuscarawas County have bottle disposal machines where a person can get money for their plastic and glass bottles? Some states have a refund on returned or recycled bottles. Ohio used to, I believe. If the state would re-adopt that policy, I’m certain recycling would increase.
Heath, you are correct that many states have those types of opportunities. Ohio just isn’t at that point just yet.
Can glass candle jars be recycled, if cleaned and dried?
Yes.
I have a couple of questions. Are the half gallon papery milk cartons recyclable? I was told yes by a Kimble employee. Can you clarify if the thin water bottles that come in a 24 to 36 per package bottles are recyclable? Those were not recyclable in the county I previously lived in where larger water bottles and jugs were. There iare no recyclable labels on the bottoms. Thanks.
Connie, great questions. Papery milk cartons are not recyclable in our public drop offs. Some curbside recycling programs will accept those. If you have curbside, check with your hauler. If you use our public bins, no. As for the water bottles, those are acceptable. We accept all plastic bottles and jugs. Plastics must be one of those two items and have a neck and shoulder. Hope that helps!
How can you dispose of used cooking oil?
You can bring it to our Household Hazardous Waste Collection if you are resident of Stark, Tuscarawas, or Wayne Counties by making an appointment here: http://www.timetorecycle.org/hhw-appointments/
I have restaurant guest checks that have one staple in them. Can they be put in the paper recycle bin?
If you can remove the staple, that is ideal. Yes.
What is the best way to dispose of plastic straws.
They can’t be recycled. It’s best to not buy them since they aren’t recyclable. Either reuse them or you can throw them in your trash.
How come we cannot recycle take-out plastic containers – and are instructed to not look at the recycling triangle anymore?
The triangle does not have anything to do with the item being recycled on a local level. It’s a reference to the type of plastic you have. The triangles typically have a number in them if referring to a plastic. Only Plastic Bottles and Jugs are recyclable in our bins. Always follow the rules of the District or company that takes your recycling. All other plastics should be discarded in your trash or reused if possible.
Household batteries recyclable? Or trash?
Right now, they go in the trash. We are working on an option to recycle them but need to vet the process more.
Do aerosol cans need to be completely empty?
Do glass jars, like pickle jars, need to have all labels and sticky glue material removed? They often have labels that are hard to get off or leave a glue trace around the outside when the label is removed?
Thanks!
-Encouraged Environmentalist
Hello! Aerosols must be completely empty if they are put into the regular recycling bins. However, if you have material still in them, they can be disposed of at the Canton Recycle Center by appointment. You can make an appointment here: https://www.timetorecycle.org/hhw-appointments/
Labels do not need to be removed from any of your recycling. 🙂
Why we don’t squish milk jugs etc.
We just asked this morning for a clarification on why this is required. Stay tuned!
You can now!
How do we dispose of styroform used as packaging in a corregated box? I understand it is not re-cycleable. Put it in the trash?
Unless you have a reuse for the material, we recommend throwing this material in the trash.
So should we smash our cans and bottles or should we clean and leave them normal size. My dad said leave them big so they can be cleaned, I say that we should clean it, crush it, and then cap it to save space and keep it air tight.
Whether something is crushed or not, doesn’t determine if it is recycled. Neither is wrong since the plastic bottles and cans are crushed in the back of the recycling trucks when they compact the recyclables to make more room.
Where should I take my #5 recycling
#5 plastics are not recyclable at this time. Unfortunately, they need to be placed in the trash.