Recycling Guidelines

Click here to view a PDF version of our 2025 Recycling Guidelines in English.

Click here to view a PDF version of our 2025 Recycling Guidelines in Spanish.

You CAN recycle the following:

Soda cans, empty food cans, aluminum foil and an aluminum pie pan

Metal

Steel containers, aluminium containers & foil

Cardboard boxes, folders, paper, cups, egg carton, paper bag and toilet paper tube

Paper

Cardboard (flattened), paper cups, office paper, newspaper, magazines

Glass bottles of varying sizes and color

Glass

Bottles & jars only

Plastic bottles, cups and cartons of varying sizes and colors

Plastic

Bottles, tubs, jugs, and cups

Food and beverage cartons of varying shapes and sizes

Food & Beverage Cartons

Containers should be clean and empty! Leave caps and lids on containers and bottles.

Do NOT recycle the following:

Icon of bagged recyclables crossed out

Do Not Bag Recyclables

Plastic bag icon crossed out, meaning plastic bags not allowed

No Plastic Bags or Product Wrap

Return clean to a retailer

Icon of cables and cords crossed out

No Tanglers

Hangers, hoses, wire, cords, ropes & chains

Icon of syringe, battery, and \"yuck\" splatter crossed out

No Food, Liquid, Diapers, Batteries or Needles

Icon of chair and propane tank crossed out

No Big Items

Electronics, wood, propane tanks, scrap metal or styrofoam

Icon of shoe and shirt crossed out

No Clothing, Textiles & Shoes

A statewide task force, co-chaired by SWALCO's Executive Director, was formed in 2018 to address the issue of recycling contamination. The task force developed the general recycling guidelines provided on this webpage.

China’s decision to stop importing paper and plastics has rippled throughout the markets and put a spotlight on contamination. The more contamination, the higher the cost to process the material at recycling facilities. In turn, those costs are passed on to households and businesses.

As you review the guidelines, please pay special attention to the items that cannot be recycled. These items are causing the most problems for recycling facilities. If we can get those items out of the recycling cart, we will improve the value of recycling significantly. 

Thank you for recycling!