The scoop on what you can and can't recycle in DeKalb

Thanks to Gregg Vande Wiele for sending me the following link and inspiring this post!

Click here for the list of what you can and can’t recycle in DeKalb!

DeKalb County has a dual recycling process. That means materials are sorted two ways:

Mixed paper goes in the blue bin.

Other materials go in the blue bags: glass, plastics, aluminum and tin.

Here’s a handy list to help you know how to sort your recycling. Remember to empty and rinse containers before recycling, and don’t recycle paper that has food residue. If you’re not sure where it fits, don’t recycle it.

Did you know that you can recycle lots of other household materials? Click on these links to find out how to recycle special items:

In the Blue Bin: Only paper products

Do Recycle:

Newspapers and inserts, magazines and catalogs, telephone and paperback books

Cardboard and Chipboard, like toilet and paper towel tubes, cereal and food boxes, cardboard boxes, moving boxes

Junk mail, like ads, brochures, circulars, flyers, envelopes with window film

Office paper and supplies, like manila folders, note pads, index cards, writing paper, copy paper, letterhead, computer printouts, envelopes

Don’t Recycle

Any paper that has food residue or has been used for cleaning purposes
Plastic bags and newspaper bags
Frozen food boxes or film wrap
Paper plates, tissues or wax paper
Hard cover books

Good to Know

Shredded paper can be recycled, but must be bagged separately.
Pizza boxes can go in the bin if they are empty and not very greasy.
Don’t put anything with confidential or sensitive information in the bin.

In the Blue Bags: Glass, Metal, Plastic

Glass

Do Recycle
•	Clear glass bottles and jars
•	Brown, green, and blue glass bottles and jars
Don’t Recycle
•	Broken glass
•	Ovenware and ceramics
•	Window panes
•	Mirrors
•	Windshields

Good to Know
•	You don’t need to remove labels.
•	Empty and rinse bottles before putting them in the bag.

Plastics

Do Recycle
•	Plastic containers with the recycle symbols 1-7
•	Soda and juice bottles
•	Milk and water jugs
•	Detergent, shampoo and soap bottles
•	Food containers, like tubs for margarine or sour cream
•	Styrofoam
Don’t Recycle
•	Frozen food containers
•	Cellophane plastic wrap
•	Plastic bags from stores and groceries
•	Packaging material like bubble wrap, packing peanuts



Good to Know
•	Empty and rinse items that have had contact with food or cleaning products.
•	Grocery bags, drycleaning bags, newspaper wrap, paper towel / toilet paper packaging can be recycled at your grocery store.

Aluminum and Tin

Do Recycle
•	Soda and beer cans
•	Soup and vegetable cans
•	Steel, metal and tin containers and lids
•	Empty aerosol cans
Don’t Recycle
•	Aluminum foil
•	Small appliances
•	Silverware
•	Pots and pans
•	Motor oil cans