What Can You Recycle ?
A List of What Can be Recycled
What Can You Recycle? Here's an ever growing list of what can be recycled rather than discarded. Here's how to starve the local landfill and reduce your negative impact.
You may be surprised at what can be recycled these days!
Anything that can be reused with a little tweaking or that can be broken down into recoverable materials can be recycled.
Most landfills now have segregated areas for the disposal of large recyclable materials like computers and household appliances.
The number of things that can be recycled far outweighs the things that can't. Reducing, reusing, recycling, composting and donating will almost eliminate the amount of trash you send to the landfill.
The local consignment store or internet community list are great ways to recycle large or unique items.
We like to challenge ourselves to produce no more than 1 kitchen catcher sized bag of trash per week but we often do much better than that.
Do YOU recycle? Is it worth it? Click to tell us.
Have a LOOK at some very creative ideas for recycling old wood pallets!
Categorized lists of What Can be Recycled
E-Products - What can you recycle?
- Cell phones
- Computers
- Laptops
- Televisions
- Hearing Aids
- iPods
- Mp3 players
- Ink Cartridges from printers and copiers
Glass
*Note
Most facilities DO NOT accept window glass, crockery, dishes, mirrors or incandescent lightbulbs.
- Bottles - eg. wine, juice, beer, soft drink
- Gallon jugs
- Jars - minus lids and rings
In order to control pests and odors you may want to rinse containers but it's usually not a requirement.
All colors of glass bottles are accepted, some facilities like them to be sorted by color.
Plastic
*Note 2011
Our recycling facility now accepts soft plastic (bread bags, cling wrap etc.) and clean styrofoam trays.
- Beverage bottles - remove non-plastic lids
- Dairy containers - eg. cottage cheese, yogurt
- Plastic milk jugs
- Plastic grocery bags
- Plastic jars - eg. peanut butter, honey
- Vitamin and pill bottles.
- Shampoo/conditioner/body wash bottles
- Laundry soap/Dish soap bottles
- Blister packs (used for packaging toys, tools, etc.)
- Clamshell food containers
Although the technology exists to recycle most plastics, make a trial run to your recycling facility and take note of which plastics they accept. Almost everyone accepts type #1 and #2 plastics. Some accept the whole range from #1 to #7 which includes clamshell plastic food containers and blister packs, plastic bags, along with a gamut of other plastic packaging.
Building Materials
- Bricks
- Lumber
- Cupboards
- Countertops
- Floors
- Light fixtures
- Bathroom fixtures
- Paint
Check with thrift stores and Habitat for Humanity and community internet lists.
Paper/Cardboard
*Note
Pizza boxes, wax coated cardboard boxes or soiled/saturated cardboard are not accepted by recyclers.
- Newspaper
- Magazines
- Books
- Cereal boxes
- Cracker/Cookie boxes
- Corrugated cardboard boxes (except waxed boxes such as banana crates)
- Food boxes (Mac & Cheese, cake mixes, frozen entree, etc.)
- Shredded paper (bagged)
- Wrapping paper
- Catalogues
- Greeting cards
- Envelopes
- Phone books
Metals
- Aluminum, brass, copper, steel
- Tin cans, lids inside
- Aluminum cans (soft drink, beer, etc.)
- Clean aluminum foil
- Clean foil containers
- Electrical wire (copper wire)
- Paint cans - lids off, allow paint residue to dry completely
Yard & Garden
- Leaves and grass clippings (see composting)
- Lawnmowers
- Soil
- Gardening tools
Household Appliances
- Fridges, freezers
- Stoves
- Washers
- Dishwashers
- Microwaves
Automotive
- Used engine oil
- Batteries
- Tires
- Steel frame
- Stereos
Miscellaneous
- Tetra packs (Drink boxes)
- Empty aerosol cans
- Fluorescent light tubes (return and exchange programs exist)
- Sporting goods
- Toys
- Furniture
- Inkjet and Toner cartridges. Check Thinkrecycle, you may even get paid
- Batteries
- Paint
- Plastic paint cans - lid and handle removed, paint residue completely dry
Compost
- Leaves, grass clippings
- Kitchen scraps - For a complete list go to Kitchen Compost
- Christmas trees (some communities have a chipping program)
- Pumpkins/Jack-o-lanterns
What can you recycle at a Thrift Store or Consignment facility.
- Christmas decorations
- Toys
- Sporting goods
- Furniture
- Baby gear
- Clothing
A growing number of communities have an internet community list where you can advertise just about anything for sale or free for pick-up.
Thinkrecycle accepts a range of electronics by mail and pays you for sending them. An excellent fundraising opportunity for schools and community organizations. Host an electronics drive (or drop off point) and collect qualifying cameras, cell phones, MP3 players, iPods, toner and inkjet cartridges and more. Check it out
Share YOUR recycling experiences
Are YOU part of the recycling solution?
Blow Your Horn! You deserve it.
Tell us about what you regularly recycle and other ways you've kept things out of the landfill.
Do you have a curbside program or do you take your recycling to a center yourself?
When did you get serious about recycling and why do you do it?
What differences have you noticed around home and in the family's attitude since you got on board with recycling?
Visitors to our What Can You Recycle page may also be interested in the following pages.
Help the Environment by Recycling
Home Recycling Center
