These items are OK in your recycling container
- Newspaper, including ads and other paper inserts
- Corrugated cardboard (a wavy layer between two flat layers). Flatten cardboard boxes and cut up any boxes larger than three feet in any direction. Do not cut them any smaller than 1 foot square.
- Magazines, catalogs, phone books
- Junk mail and scrap paper
- Envelopes. Windows and labels are OK.
- Paper bags
- Boxes from cereal, cracker, cookie and shoe boxes (also known as "brown board," "grey board," or "chip board").
- Wrapping paper. No foil, glitter, plastic coating or tape.
- Cards. No foil, glitter or plastic coating.
- Paper labels from cans.
- Paper towel and tissue cores with all paper and tissue removed.
- Paper egg cartons
- Miscellaneous paper: Copier and printer paper, fax paper, construction paper stationery, file folders, note paper, computer paper, brochures, coupons, Post-it notes.
- Shredded paper. Place shredded paper inside a paper bag before placing in your recycling container.
- Milk cartons and juice or soup boxes (called aseptic boxes). Rinse thoroughly; no need to flatten.
Even though milk cartons and aseptics are not 100 percent paper, there are specific markets for these materials so they can be recycled curbside. Aseptic boxes are a combination of plastic, metal and paper, and milk and juice cartons, also known as "gable-top" containers, contain a moisture barrier.
Do not include these items in your recycling container
- Frozen food boxes such as butter boxes, ice cream containers, take-out containers. These are lined with a plastic moisture barrier to keep them from disintegrating and contaminated with food.
- Paper bags lined with plastic that contain pet food, cat litter, coffee and other products.
- Waxed paper
- Photographs. Chemical coatings are not recyclable
- Tissues, napkins or paper towels. Residues on these contaminate recycling processes.
- Food contaminated paper or cardboard Residues on these contaminate recycling processes.
- Paper cups. The plastic coating makes them unrecyclable and uncompostable.
- Cereal and cracker box liners
- Plastic envelopes or mailers (Tyvek, etc.). Mailers that are a combination of paper and plastic (such as paper lined with bubble wrap).
- Hard cover or paperback books. The binding glue is a contaminant and makes books difficult to recycle – consider donation and reuse options.
Have a different type of paper material to get rid of?
Search Metro's online tool for disposal options