Recycling Definitions

Metal

  • Ferrous Metal: Any metal containing iron including steel and tin cans
  • Non-ferrous Metal: Any metal with no iron or very low amounts of iron including aluminum cans

Paper

  • Office Paper: white computer paper, letterhead, white notebook paper, and ledger paper
  • Paper Board or Boxboard: cereal boxes

Plastics

  • Plastic Number 1: Polyethylene Terephthalate (PETE)
    Common Uses: soda bottles, oven-ready meal trays, cooking oil bottles, peanut butter jars, and water bottles
  • Plastic Number 2: High Density Polyethylene (HDPE)
    Common Uses: detergent bottles, milk jugs, and grocery/trash/retail bags
  • Plastic Number 3: Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
    Common Uses: loose-leaf binders, vinyl siding, plastic stripe cards, and plastic pipes
  • Plastic Number 4: Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE)
    Common Uses: dry cleaning bags, produce bags, squeezable bottles, and trash can liners
  • Plastic Number 5: Polypropylene (PP)
    Common Uses: medicine bottles, aerosol caps, drinking straws, food containers (such as yogurt, ketchup bottles, and butter tubs), and bottle caps
  • Plastic Number 6: Polystyrene (PS)
    Common Uses: compact disk jackets, packaging Styrofoam peanuts, and plastic tableware
  • Plastic Number 7: Other
    Examples: reusable water bottles, certain kinds of food containers and Tupperware

Note: PETE and HDPE are the most common forms of plastic