What Are the Do's and Don'ts for Recycling Each Kind of Material?

Please follow these guidelines carefully to help make recycling a success.

Commingled Containers
(Bottles/Cans/Jars)

"Commingled Containers" include all of the following food and beverage containers and are accepted mixed together at the various Drop-off Centers throughout the county, except for Superior and Erie. Return to Recycling in Boulder

Glass bottles and jars of all colors

Please avoid breaking glass. Labels OK. Please rinse. Remove and recycle metal lids/caps. No vases, dishes, mirrors, light bulbs, window glass, or drinking glasses. Return to Recycling in Boulder

Aluminum cans and clean aluminum foil

Do not crush or flatten cans.
Please rinse. Ball all aluminum foil together into one large ball 2" or larger, or flatten pieces. No small, balled-up foil please. Return to Recycling in Boulder

Steel (tin) cans including empty aerosol cans (throw away plastic lids/caps)

Please rinse
Labels OK
Metal jar lids, metal bottle caps OK
Pinch the open end of cans closed
NO plastic lids/caps Return to Recycling in Boulder

Plastic bottles and jugs with a #1, #2 or #5 on the bottom
(Includes milk jugs, soda bottles, most shampoo bottles, etc.)

Flatten gallon jugs and bottles 1 liter and larger. Remove and throw away lids. Please rinse. NO plastic bags, cups, plastic vitamin or prescription bottles. NO motor oil bottles. Return to Recycling in Boulder

Plastic screw-top jars with a #1 on the bottom

NO lids. Please rinse. Return to Recycling in Boulder

Paper milk cartons & drink boxes.

Please flatten. Remove and throw away straws and plastic caps. No need to remove plastic spouts. NO drink "pouches."
Please empty and rinse all containers
Labels are OK
NOTE: Please do NOT include any plastics other than those listed. Including non-recyclable plastics jeopardizes the entire plastic recycling program! Return to Recycling in Boulder

Plastic Tubs and Cups With a #2 or #5 on the Bottom

Plastic tubs with a #2 or #5 are accepted with "commingled containers" in the Longmont curbside program and at the Boulder and Longmont drop-off centers ONLY. Due to very shaky markets for this material, tubs will not be added to other programs at this time.
(Includes margarine, yogurt, and other dairy tubs and some deli tubs.) Please rinse. NO lids. NO bags, other types of cups, clamshell "to go" containers or other types of plastics. Return to Recycling in Boulder

Large Paperboard
Larger single-layer boxes, such as:

Smaller Paperboard Items
Smaller paperboard and low-grade paper such as:

Office Paper and Opened Mail

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Newspapers

And newspaper inserts
No other papers, boxes, bags or string Return to Recycling in Boulder

Magazines & Catalogs

No phone books Return to Recycling in Boulder

Corrugated Cardboard & Brown Paper Bags

Please flatten. Put cereal boxes and other "single-layer" paperboard in the "Paperboard" category (see above). Return to Recycling in Boulder

Phone Books

Please keep separate from office paper and magazine/catalog categories. Return to Recycling in Boulder

Scrap Metal

No air conditioners, refrigerators or freezers. Return to Recycling in Boulder

Car Batteries

Household batteries are accepted at the Boulder County Household Hazardous Waste facility. Call 303-441-4800 for more information. Car batteries are no longer accepted at any Eco-Cycle drop-off center locations.

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DON'T WORRY! NO NEED TO REMOVE THESE:

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NO The Following items are NOT recyclable in any category and should be thrown away:

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