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 #1: Polyethylene Terephthalate (PETE)
Common Uses: soda bottles, oven-ready meal trays, cooking oil bottles, peanut butter jars, and water bottles

Plastic #2: High Density Polyethylene (HDPE)
Common Uses: detergent bottles, milk jugs, and grocery/trash/retail bags

Plastic #3: Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
Common Uses: loose-leaf binders, vinyl siding, plastic stripe cards, and plastic pipes

Plastic #4: Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE)
Common Uses: dry cleaning bags, produce bags, squeezable bottles, and trash can liners

Plastic #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 #6: Polystyrene (PS)
Common Uses: compact disk jackets, packaging Styrofoam peanuts, and plastic tableware

Plastic #7: Other
Examples: reusable water bottles, certain kinds of food containers and Tupperware

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