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 3 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
- Notebooks. No need to remove the metal spiral.
- 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% 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. The fibers are impregnated with moisture-resistant plastic to keep them from disintegrating or becoming 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