What to Recycle

Recycling right is just as important as recycling more.

Unaccepted items can contaminate the recycling stream. This can ruin an entire batch of recycling, causing it to be trashed instead.

• Recyclables must be clean and free of food waste.
• Plastic bags and wrap are not accepted in CVWMA recycling programs.
• Keep Styrofoam, shredded paper, batteries, hoses and cords out of recycling containers.

Curbside customers

Look up your recycling day: Enter your address in our Customer Portal.

Looking for a drop-off location?

See the map.

Our Recycling Wizard can help with harder to recycle items.

Accepted Items

Aluminum and Steel Cans

Empty and rinse. Place lids back inside metal cans.

• Aluminum foil is not accepted.
• Decorative tins, sets of pots and pans, and cooking pans are not accepted.

Food and Beverage Cartons

Empty and rinse. Replace plastic caps before recycling. 

Here’s a short video by the Carton Council on carton recycling.

Glass Bottles and Jars

Empty and rinse. Leave off metal caps.

• Drinking glasses, canning jars, Pyrex, window glass and ceramics are not accepted.

Paper and Cardboard

Flatten corrugated boxes and place them in the container.

• Gift wrap is not accepted.
• Ice cream containers are not accepted.
• Receipts are not accepted. This thin paper can contain non-recyclable layers and chemicals. Refuse receipts or place then in the trash.
• Hardback books are not accepted. Contact local libraries or thrift stores about donation. If you must recycle, remove covers to recycle book paper pages.
• Shredded paper is not accepted. Take your documents to a shredding event or compost at home. Also check with local animal shelters to see if they can use the shredded paper for bedding.

Kitchen, Laundry, Bath: Plastic Bottles, Jugs and Tubs

Empty, rinse and replace plastic cap before recycling.

• Styrofoam containers and packaging are not accepted.
• Spray pumps on plastic bottles are not accepted. Remove pump before recycling the bottle.
• Plastic bottles with motor oil are not accepted.
• Plastic garden plant pots are not accepted.
• Plastic bags are not accepted.

Plastic bags or plastic wrap

• Plastic bags are the #1 contaminant found in recycling containers nationwide.
• Many grocery stores and big-box retailers take back plastic bags for recycling. Find a drop-off near you.
• Plastic bags can damage equipment at the processing facility when they get wrapped around moving parts.

Recyclables bagged in plastic

• Do not bag recyclables in plastic bags. Plastic bags will not be opened at the processing facility.
• Bags will be landfilled.

Flammables, Fuel Tanks or Batteries

• No flammables, motor oil, paint or batteries are accepted.
• No plastic motor oil bottles are accepted. Motor oil residue has become one of the biggest contaminants for plastics markets. The residue seeps into the porous plastic and cannot be removed through the washing process. Never rinse or wash motor oil bottle yourself. Motor oil down the sink or storm drain causes a much larger environmental crisis than a plastic bottle in the trash. Save those containers to pour used motor-oil back in to for return to your local automotive parts store.
• No batteries of any kind are accepted. Ever. Lithium batteries can cause fires.

Tanglers, Cords, Hoses or Chains

• No hoses, wires, chains or electronics are accepted.
• Holiday lights are not accepted.

Food or Liquids

• Food-contaminated items such as pizza boxes or aluminum foil are not accepted.
• Any food left on your containers may attract pests to your recycling bin.
• Food residue also contaminates the materials and makes them non-recyclable.

Styrofoam, Foam Products or Carryout Packaging

• No Styrofoam or foam products of any kind including cups, carryout packaging and packaging materials (like peanuts). Recycle foam packing peanuts here.
• No cornstarch based or biodegradable packing materials (like peanuts).

Shredded Paper

• No shredded paper.
• No bagged shredded paper.
• The shreds clog the machinery, contaminate the glass processing, and end up as litter inside the processing facility.
• Contact SPCA or local animal shelter to see if they accept donations or use in composting.
• Click here for REUSE ideas for shredded paper from Treehugger.

Aerosol Cans, Plastic pumps

• Aerosol cans are not accepted.
• Spray pumps are not accepted.