Specific preparation instructions for mixing of recyclables. After preparation put the following materials all together into the recycling roll carts:

 

Newspaper: All newspaper and print ads can be placed into the cart. Remove rubber bands and all protective plastic delivery bags before placing in your cart.

 

Magazines and Manuals : Magazines and electronic/toy manuals are excellent materials to recycle at the curb. Remove plastic packaging prior to placing in the cart.

Cardboard: Flatten boxes and cut down to pieces no larger than 3'x3'. Place cardboard loosely inside your roll cart so contents can freely fall when collected.

 

Milk Cartons/Aseptic Cartons: Rinse gable-topped milk containers throughly and open fully for drying. Soy milk/juice box (aseptic) cartons can be rinsed out and placed into the roll cart for drying.  Discard plastic straws from drink boxes.

 

Scrap Paper: Secure junk mail and scrap paper in a brown bag to prevent wind from blowing litter in your neighborhood. Scrap paper includes: unwanted mail, envelopes, fax paper, greeting cards, paper egg cartons, paper tubes, and cereal boxes.

Do not include tissue paper, paper towels, frozen meal boxes, wax, foil, or plastic. Food-soiled paper (pizza delivery box) is not accepted. 
 

Metal and Aerosol Cans: Rinse throughly and toss into the roll cart. Include all aluminum and tin/steel food cans. Do not flatten or puncture cans. 
 

Plastic Bottles and Milk Jugs: Rinse all containers with necks throughly.
No bottles that have come into contact with motor oil, pesticide, or herbicide are accepted.

Other Plastic Packaging: Rinse all containers (tubs/packaging/pots) clean of food, beverage , or dirt residue.

* Containers/tubs - 6 oz or larger in size

* Rigid nursery plant pots 4" or larger

* Buckets up to 5-gallon - metal/plastic handles ok

 

Scrap Metal: Include all metal smaller than 36" long and weighing less than 40 lbs. collectively.

Do not include metal that is contaminated with food or other non-metal materials (rubber, plastic, etc.) 

 

Glass: Remove lids, rinse and place glass in a bucket or red bin to keep separate from other recyclables. Place glass bin next to your recycling roll cart.

No broken glass, cookware, window glass, mirrors, light bulbs, or drinking glasses.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Motor Oil: Pour into a "see-through" plastic container with a screw top lid. No other liquids will be accepted. Set next to cart.

 

 

 

Materials Not Accepted in Residential Recycling
Proper preparation is important to make recycling work. Do not place these into
your residential recycling. For information about how to recycle these items orother “hard to recycle items,” contact Metro Recycling Information Center at (503) 234-3000 or Find a Recycler.

 

Plastic Bags: Do not place plastic bags in recycling containers - they jam machinery and disrupt operations at the processing facility. Intead, recycle used plastic bags at grocery stores.

Plastic Caps, Lids and Tops: No plastic caps, lids, or tops accepted in residential recycling. These items tend to "nestle" inside paper products headed for the paper mill . Those that are less than 2" in diameter and don't mix with paper, tend to falll through the sorting screens. Save these to deposit at a recycling depot or Master Recycler Plastics Roundup event.

Transparent plastic deli containers and bakery/vegetable "clamshell" or blister packaging (think of rigid packaging requiring a knife to open) are not part of the residential recycling program. These materials can be stockpiled and recycled at a quarterly Master Recycler Plastics Roundup event.

Block Styrofoam or Peanuts:

Currently there are a few local vendors who recycle block Styrofoam. To determine which recycler is closest to you, log on to Metro's Find a Recycler webpage.

Reuse Idea: Styrofoam peanuts are often accepted at local mailhouses for reuse. Call ahead to confirm they will be accepted.