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Your Guide to Recycling

Feb 19, 2021 | Trash Talk

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

Mail

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

58 Comments

  1. Hannah Hubbard

    So helpful! Thank you so much for this detailed list!

    Reply
    • Steve Tharp

      Absolutely! If you have any suggestions for improvement, let us know!

      Reply
  2. Hannah Hubbard

    Could you make this list a printable document? I’d love to hang it on my fridge for easy reference 🙂

    Reply
    • Steve Tharp

      Let me see what I can do!

      Reply
  3. Laurel Kunkel

    Can pill bottles or medicine bottles be recycled?

    Reply
    • Steve Tharp

      They must have a neck and shoulders and be larger than a credit card to be recycled.

      Reply
      • Billie Schiavone

        What do you do with spray paint can that may still have paint?

        Reply
  4. Amy Beacom

    Can you recycle milk cartons? And would it be considered paper or plastic?

    Reply
    • Amy Beacom

      Disregard! I missed that it was listed under “do not recycle” in plastics.

      Reply
      • Steve Tharp

        All good! Thank you for commenting and asking! We would rather you ask. Enjoy your day!

        Reply
  5. Janeene

    Can shredded paper be accepted if it is placed in a paper bag and stapled shut OR placed in a plastic recycle bag?

    Reply
    • Steve Tharp

      No. Shredded paper must be thrown away in the trash.

      Reply
      • Laura

        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.

        Reply
      • dian davids

        Why can’t shredded paper be recycled?

        If it is placed in a paper bag and stapled closed, wouldn’t that be OK?

        Reply
        • Steve Tharp

          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!

          Reply
    • Peter

      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.

      Reply
  6. Janeene

    Can Vitamin bottles be recycled?

    Reply
    • Steve Tharp

      Yes, so long as they have a neck and shoulders and are larger than a credit card.

      Reply
  7. Janeene

    Can plastic milk jugs be recycled?

    Reply
    • Steve Tharp

      Yes, they are plastic jug.

      Reply
  8. Dee

    Do magazines need to have their staples removed?
    What does “Paper should be loose when placed in the bin” mean exactly?

    Reply
    • Steve Tharp

      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?

      Reply
  9. Connie Butera

    Is thee any place to recycle metal, i,e, 100% metal clothes hangers, metal kebab spears used for grilling?

    Reply
  10. Marlin Rasor

    So no plastics with the numbers 1-7, with the recycling arrow triangle are being recycled anywhere? Making sure I am reading this correctly.

    Reply
    • Steve Tharp

      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.

      Reply
  11. Gregory Clark

    Any chance of occasional community paper shredding days like Summit has??

    Reply
    • Steve Tharp

      We don’t have any at the moment. The best I can tell you right now is that we can look into it.

      Reply
  12. Gabrielle Skeen

    Do you have to remove labels from plastic bottles and metal cans?

    Also, do you have to remove tape from cardboard boxes?

    Reply
    • Steve Tharp

      No to all of your questions. It’s not required but but a cleaner product is always better.

      Reply
  13. Heath Howell

    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.

    Reply
    • Steve Tharp

      Heath, you are correct that many states have those types of opportunities. Ohio just isn’t at that point just yet.

      Reply
  14. Jennifer

    Can glass candle jars be recycled, if cleaned and dried?

    Reply
    • Steve Tharp

      Yes.

      Reply
      • Connie

        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.

        Reply
        • Steve Tharp

          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!

          Reply
  15. Susan

    How can you dispose of used cooking oil?

    Reply
  16. Sue

    I have restaurant guest checks that have one staple in them. Can they be put in the paper recycle bin?

    Reply
    • Steve Tharp

      If you can remove the staple, that is ideal. Yes.

      Reply
  17. Cherrill Wertz

    What is the best way to dispose of plastic straws.

    Reply
    • Steve Tharp

      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.

      Reply
  18. Maggie

    How come we cannot recycle take-out plastic containers – and are instructed to not look at the recycling triangle anymore?

    Reply
    • Steve Tharp

      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.

      Reply
  19. Karen Rastetter Akins

    Household batteries recyclable? Or trash?

    Reply
    • Steve Tharp

      Right now, they go in the trash. We are working on an option to recycle them but need to vet the process more.

      Reply
  20. anonymous

    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

    Reply
    • Steve Tharp

      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. 🙂

      Reply
  21. Abe

    Why we don’t squish milk jugs etc.

    Reply
    • Steve Tharp

      We just asked this morning for a clarification on why this is required. Stay tuned!

      Reply
    • Steve Tharp

      You can now!

      Reply
  22. Barb Schwitzgebel

    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?

    Reply
    • Steve Tharp

      Unless you have a reuse for the material, we recommend throwing this material in the trash.

      Reply
  23. Andrew

    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.

    Reply
    • Steve Tharp

      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.

      Reply
  24. Teresa Hart

    Where should I take my #5 recycling

    Reply
    • Steve Tharp

      #5 plastics are not recyclable at this time. Unfortunately, they need to be placed in the trash.

      Reply

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