Guidelines for Recyclables

The following is a list of all items recyclable with Eco-Cycle and how to sort and prepare them for recycling.

To find out how and where to recycle, go to "How to Recycle in Boulder County".

CANS/Steel and Aluminum

  • Aluminum and steel or tin cans: please rinse, labels are OK, please squeeze top of steel can shut
  • Aluminum foil
  • Aluminum pie pans and to-go containers: please rinse
  • NO SCRAP METAL with the Aluminum and Steel please.

CARDBOARD AND BROWN PAPER BAGS

  • Corrugated Cardboard only in this category (two layers with waves between them)
  • Please flatten
  • NO 6-pack holders, cereal or similar boxes; these go in the Paperboard category

GLASS

  • Metal lids OK--please detach from jars
  • Please rinse, labels OK
  • NO dishes, mirrors, light bulbs, window glass, auto glass or drinking glasses

MAGAZINES & CATALOGS

  • All magazines
  • NO catalogs with glue bindings larger than 1/4" thick
  • NO phone books in this category

MILK CARTONS AND JUICE BOXES

  • Remove and discard straws
  • Rinse and flatten
  • NO plastic milk jugs in this category
  • NO paper cups

NEWSPAPER

  • And the inserts that come with the paper
  • NO other papers, boxes, bags or string

PAPERBOARD AND LOW GRADE MIXED PAPER

  • Cereal/cracker boxes and other similar boxes: no inside bags
  • Egg cartons: cardboard-type only
  • Gift/shirt boxes
  • Hanging file folders
  • Paper bags, shopping bags (not brown, these go with corrugated cardboard)
  • Paper tubes of any size or thickness (paper towel, toilet paper, wrapping paper)
  • Ream wrappers
  • Shoe boxes
  • Six-pack cartons and 12-pack boxes

THESE PAPERS ARE NOT RECYCLABLE

  • PAPERS CONTAMINATED WITH FOOD, BEVERAGE OR HAZARDOUS WASTE RESIDUES
  • Carbon paper
  • Foil lined boxes
  • Paper and hardback books
  • Pet food, charcoal or fertilizer bags
  • Photographs
  • Tyvek envelopes (used for overnight mailing)
  • Used tissues, napkins or paper towel

PHONE BOOKS

  • All telephone books

PLASTICS

  • #1 Bottles and screw-top jars
  • #2 Milk jugs and any other translucent white beverage bottles with a #2 on the bottom
  • #2 Colored bottles (detergent bottles, shampoo & conditioner bottles, some cleaner bottles, all #2 colored plastic bottles except motor oil bottles)
  • #5 bottles
  • #2 and #5 tubs and cups (includes most dairy tubs like yogurt and margarine and commemorative cups from fast food restaurants)
  • NO MOTOR OIL BOTTLES
  • NO LIDS
  • Flatten bottles
  • Nest tubs and cups
  • For plastic bag recycling, click here
  • More information on plastics...

SCRAP METAL

  • NO air conditioners or refrigerators

SORTED MAIL & OFFICE PAPER

Open the envelope and take out the contents. Discard stickers and decals, foil embossed paper and Tyvek (overnight) envelopes. Everything else you can throw together in the Sorted Mail and Office Paper category, including:

  • Adding machine tapes
  • Brochures
  • Computer printouts
  • Copy and typing paper
  • Envelopes (windows, stamps and labels are all OK)
  • FAX paper
  • Greeting cards
  • Index cards
  • Loose leaf paper
  • Letterhead
  • Manila or pastel colored folders
  • Memos and Post-it notes
  • Pamphlets
  • Pastel legal pad paper
  • Slick or glossy ads
  • Stationery and pastel colored paper

NOTES 

  • We cannot take any type of Fluids. No Oil, Chemicals, etc.
  • Please call the Boulder County Household Hazardous Waste Facility at 303.441.4800 to make an appointment to safely dispose of household hazardous waste.

TIPS ON REDUCING JUNK MAIL

  • Write to:
    Mail Preference Service
    Direct Marketing Association, Inc.
    P.O. Box 9008
    Farmingdale, N.Y. 11735-9008
    Send sample labels from unwanted mail that show all the variations of your name and address.
    Or:
  • Send the mailing label back to the sender requesting to be taken off their mailing list or call them if they have a toll-free 800 number.