A less than obvious issue is the plastic lids on take-out coffee cups. Those are larger than 2 inches, but they are too light to sort properly, so they become contamination in the paper bales.

Generally, you don't need to remove paper labels from metal or aluminum cans before you chuck them in the recycling bin. When ...

Recycling is good but recycling properly is even better. Here are a few dos and don'ts for being a better recycler in 2025.

But if you've ever stared down at your refuse bins wondering if there's too much grease on your pizza box, how to recycle plastic bags, or whether you're supposed to wash the soup can before it ...

Most recycling sorting machines will reject anything narrower than 40mm, so on their own, lids and straws are too small to make it through, but as part of the bigger bottle they are more likely to ...

Several years ago, the advice was “pop the top,” but now sorting equipment has changed, and the advice is “leave it loose,” meaning leave the lid loosely attached to the bottle.

One company executive said to tear the lid off the pizza box and recycle it, then throw the bottom away. Others say the whole box is OK as long as there’s no cheese or crumbs left; some grease ...

He urged residents to keep the lids closed on their bins as wet or damp paper and cardboard has to be rejected. So too TVs, microwaves, computers, light bulbs and window panes.