Posted on July 24, 2019
Although cardboard is highly encouraged in your Curb It! cart, the packing materials like styrofoam and plastic aren’t recyclable. If you tend to have a full cart every collection week, breaking down your cardboard boxes and ensuring the packing goes in the correct cart is a great way to save some space! Here are some common finds.
First, be sure to pull out all the packing materials, flatten the box, and toss it into your Curb It! cart. Today’s boxes come with a lot of scanning labels and pieces of packaging tape. The good news is, you don’t have to remove those! Simply tear off easy-to-grab labels and tape and leave the rest of the sticklers on. If you’ve ordered more than your Curb It! cart can handle, or it’s too big to fit in your cart, bring it to a free recycling drop-off!
Bubble Mailer/Bubble Wrap
Large mailing envelopes are made of a plastic material and lined with bubble wrap. Don’t let paper bubble mailers fool you. They’re still lined with bubble wrap and belong in the garbage with the rest of them.
You may see a recycling symbol on some pieces of styrofoam and wonder where it should go. Regardless of the symbol, all styrofoam should be placed in your garbage cart.
All film, whether it’s a plastic sleeve or air filled pockets from shipping, goes in your garbage cart.
For more information about safe, smart disposal and recycling options, check out our recycling guide or call 515.244.0021.