Cans, Bottles and Rigid Plastic
At Save That Stuff, all bottles, cans and rigid plastic containers free of food and liquid can be placed in the recycling bin. As we say, “You can mix them together…no need to sort them”. We also call this commingled container recycling.
Comingled Container Recycling Guidelines:
Download the Comingled Recycling Guidelines poster
- Plastic bottles and containers # 1 through #7
- Soda/juice/water bottles (glass or plastic)
- Milk jugs, bleach/detergent, shampoo bottles
- Food containers, take out containers (cottage cheese/margarine/yogurt)
- Glass bottles/jars (any color)
- Aluminum (pie plates/trays/foil)
- Metal cans (tin/steel/aluminum)
- NO plastic bags, food liners, unmarked plastics (laundry baskets/chairs/toys)
- NO window glass, mirrors, light bulbs
- NO dishes, pyrex, ceramics, foam packaging, Styrofoam
- NO hazardous material or universal waste
- NO recyclables containing food waste
- NO trash, paper cups or plates, plastic bags, tissue paper, paper towels
- NO #7 plastics marked "compostable"
Frequently asked questions about mixed paper recycling:
Q: What can and cannot go in the comingled container recycling bin?
A: The rule of thumb is all bottles, cans and rigid plastic containers can be recycled.
Q: Can I recycle milk cartons (aseptic containers)?
Q: Can I recycle Styrofoam cups and containers?
Q: Can I recycle plastic cups?
A: Yes, but please make sure that compostable cups #7 aren’t included.
Q: Do the containers need to be rinsed out?
A: No. Ideally all containers should be free of food and liquids. Otherwise the materials can attract vermin. Lining your storage containers with clear plastic bags helps to reduce the saturation of the equipment.
Q: Do I have to sort the containers?
A: NO. All bottles, cans and rigid plastic containers can be placed in the comingled container recycling bin.
Q: Where do the materials go and what do they get made into?
A: Metal, plastic and glass are shipped to national and international mills that make it into new products. Metal is remanufactured into new metal products. Plastic is remade into carpets or consumer products. Glass is used as a construction aggregate.