These items are all recyclable at local recycling drop-off centers including the Boulder County Recycling Center and through curbside recycling collection programs. Scrap metal is not accepted for drop-off at the Boulder County Recycling Center.
Single Stream Recycling Guidelines
Recyclable Materials
Please keep paper products post-card sized or bigger
- Brown paper bags
- Magazines
- Catalogs
- Newspaper
- Phone books
- Paperback books (no hardcover books)
- Notepads/spiral-bound notebooks (remove hard plastic covers)
- Loose-leaf paper
Please flatten all paperboard items
- Cardboard boxes
- Cereal/cracker boxes
- Gift/shoe boxes
- Hanging file folders
- Paper egg cartons
- Paper tubes
- Toilet paper tubes
- Paper towel tubes
- Six-pack and 12-pack cartons/boxes
- Soap/facial tissue boxes
Please keep paper products post-card sized or bigger
- Blueprints
- Brochures/pamphlets
- Computer printouts
- Fax paper
- File folders
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- Manila or pastel-colored only
- Greeting cards
- Index cards
- Letterhead
- Memos and sticky notes
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- pastel-colored, NO fluorescent or neon colors
- Legal pad paper
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- pastel-colored
- Slick/glossy ads and brochures
- Stationery and letters
- White and pastel-colored paper and envelopes
- No need to remove window from envelopes
Containers must be emptied and rinsed before recycling
- Aluminum cans
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- Do not crush or flatten
- Aluminum foil
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- Shape foil into balls 2 inches or larger
- Aluminum food trays
- Glass bottles & jars
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- Labels are okay
- Remove and recycle metal lids/caps
- Avoid breaking glass.
- Mason jars
- Steel/tin cans
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- Labels are okay
- Pinch the open end of cans slightly
- Do not crush or flatten
- Empty aerosol cans
- Paper-based food and beverage cartons
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- Do not flatten
- Paper-based drink boxes
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- Do not flatten
Containers must be emptied and rinsed before recycling
NO plastic bags
- #1PETE, #2 HDPE, #5 PP bottles, tubs, jugs and jars
- #5 sturdy souvenir cups
- Water/soda bottles
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- Attach plastic screw-top caps
- Laundry detergent bottles
- Shampoo bottles
- Soap bottles
- Vitamin bottles
- Medication bottles
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- Must be larger than 2 inches in diameter
- Milk jugs
- Yogurt tubs
- Berry containers
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- Remove liner
- #1PETE, #2 HDPE, #5 PP Clamshell containers
- Plastic tub lids
- Plastic flowerpots
- Hard plastic four and six-pack holders
- Plastic lawn toys
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- Remove metal axels
- All materials MUST fit in curbside bin
- Plastic crates
- Buckets
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- Metal handles are okay
Items That Are Not Recyclable in Single Stream Recycling Bins
Boulder County does not accept the materials listed below for recycling.
Guidelines Poster: Recycling Contaminants (Recycling’s Dirty Dozen)
If these items are not reusable, please place them in the trash.
- Plastic-coated paper products
- Hard cover books (recycle at Eco-Cycle CHaRM facility)
- Thermal fax paper
- Receipts
- Wrapping paper containing foil coating or glitter
- Sheets of address labels or stickers
- Kraft or Tyvek envelopes
- Pet food/charcoal/fertilizer bags
- Frozen food container boxes
- Carbon paper
- Photographs
- Wrapping & tissue paper
- Facial tissues/napkins
- Paper towels
- Waxed paper
- Paper plates
- Paper cups
- “Neon” fluorescent or dark-colored paper
- Construction paper
- Shredded paper
If these items are not reusable or are broken, please throw them in the trash.
- #3 PVC, #6 PS, #7 PC plastic items
- Block foam packaging (recycle #6 white block foam at the Eco-Cycle CHaRM facility)
- Plastic cups (e.g. Solo cups)
- Compostable serviceware
- Foam to-go containers
- Flattened cans and containers
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- Items must be 3-dimensional or “round”
- Frozen food containers
- Drink pouches/straws
- Ceramics (can be recycled at the Eco-Cycle CHaRM facility)
- Vases
- Dishes
- Drinking glasses (can be recycled at the Eco-Cycle CHaRM facility)
- Incandescent light bulbs
- LED light bulbs (can be recycled at the Hazardous Materials Management Facility)
- Fluorescent tubes, including CFLs (compact fluorescent light), should be taken to the Hazardous Materials Management Facility
- Mirrors
- Window or auto glass
- Empty plastic motor oil bottles
- Plastic film/Cling wrap
- Plastic bags. If bags are clean, dry, and empty they can be recycled at most grocery stores or at Eco-Cycle’s CHaRM (Center for Hard to Recycle Materials)
- Plastic lotion/toothpaste tubes