What sort of paper can be recycled?

If you said all, you failed this one with flying colors. Sadly not all paper can be easily recycled which is why it’s so important to pay attention to the products you buy.

Examples:

Your pizza box, according to Earth 911 is not only not recyclable in most cases but may be contributing to a $700 million per year problem called recycling contamination. Other boxes or paper products with grease, oil and food excess stained on is also not recyclable (think paper picnic plates and cups). Options? Don’t buy pizza in a box. Recycle the not greasy parts. Buy those take and bake pizzas – less cardboard altogether.

Those silly envelopes with plastic windows. Some plants take these but not all.

Magazines and catalogs, like envelopes with windows are not always recyclable, although more so now then a decade ago. You can donate magazines though to schools for art projects, to non-profits, or reuse them yourself.

Phone books are not always taken by recycling centers, but the good news is other places often will take them.

The best thing to do is to check with your local trash and recycling center. Most offer a handy print-out of what is and is not ok to recycle. Better yet, many offer this info paper-free on their website. After talking to your center, make a list of items you cannot recycle curbside and then head to Earth 911. Plug in your used goods and see who will take it off your hands for recycling.

[image via stock.xchng]