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
- Brown paper bags
- Magazines/catalogs
- Newspaper
- Phone books
- Paperback books (NO hardcover books)
- Notepads/spiral-bound notebooks (remove hard plastic covers)
- Construction paper (NO neon colors)
- Flattened cardboard boxes
- Cereal/cracker boxes
- Gift/shoe boxes
- Hanging file folders
- Paper egg cartons
- Paper tubes (e.g. paper towel tubes)
- Six-pack and 12-pack cartons/boxes
- Soap/facial tissue boxes
- Blueprints
- Brochures/pamphlets
- Computer printouts
- Fax paper
- File folders (manila or pastel-colored only)
- Greeting cards
- Index cards
- Letterhead
- Loose-leaf paper
- Memos and sticky notes (pastel colored, NO fluorescent colors)
- Legal pad paper (pastel-colored)
- Slick/glossy ads and brochures
- Stationery and letters
- White and pastel-colored paper and envelopes
Containers must be emptied and rinsed before recycling.
- Aluminum cans – do not crush or flatten cans.
- Aluminum foil – ball clean foil to 2 inches or larger.
- Aluminum food trays
- Glass bottles & jars – labels are okay, remove and recycle metal lids/caps, avoid breaking glass.
- Mason jars
- Steel/tin cans – labels are okay, pinch the open end of cans slightly.
- Empty aerosol cans
- Paper-based milk/soy cartons – do not flatten.
- Paper-based drink boxes – do not flatten.
Containers must be emptied and rinsed before recycling. NO plastic bags.
- Water/soda bottles – attach plastic screw-top caps.
- Laundry detergent bottles
- Shampoo bottles
- Soap bottles – plastic pumps are okay.
- Vitamin bottles
- Medication bottles
- Milk jugs
- Yogurt tubs
- #5 sturdy souvenir cups
- Berry containers – remove liner.
- Clamshell containers
- Sturdy take-out containers (NO Styrofoam)
- Plastic tub lids
- Plastic flower pots
- Hard plastic four and six-pack holders
- Plastic lawn toys – remove metal axels, all materials MUST fit in curbside bin.
- Plastic crates
- Buckets – metal handles are okay.
Items That Are Not Recyclable
If these items are not reusable, please place them in the trash.
- Plastic-coated paper products
- Hard cover books (recycle at the 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 (NO foil coating or glitter)
- Facial tissues/napkins
- Waxed paper
- Paper towels/plates/cups (NO plastic-coated products)
- “Neon” fluorescent or dark-colored paper
- Shredded paper (NO plastic-coated paper)
If these items are not reusable or are broken, please throw them in the trash.
- Block foam packaging (recycle #6 white block foam at the Eco-Cycle CHaRM facility)
- Plastic cups (e.g. Solo cups)
- Foam to-go containers
- Flattened cans and containers (items must be 3-dimensional or “round”)
- Frozen food containers
- Drink pouches/straws
- Ceramics
- Vases
- Dishes
- Drinking glasses
- Light bulbs
- 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 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)