Paper: Newspaper, Cardboard and Junk Mail

Next to plastics, the most confusing material to sort is paper. Like plastics there are many different types of paper and some are more recyclable than others. The equivalent of 30 million trees gets thrown out every year in this country. Although the amount of recycled paper is growing, paper can not be continuously recycled. Each pass through the recycling process further breaks and shortens the paper fibers, causing the paper to be downgraded to lower grade forms.

Fortunately, here in Takoma Park, we can recycle almost all of our clean paper, though some separation is necessary. In general, all paper must be put in PAPER bags or tied in bundles. Plastic bags can not be recycled with the paper. Papers are of different types and go to different facilities for recycling, so even though they are picked up by the same truck, they are placed in different sections of that truck.

Newspaper -- Bag it or bundle it and set it on the curb on your recycling pickup day. Do not include the Sunday supplement, glossy advertising or other non-newsprint (it goes with mixed paper). Newsprint soiled with food or paint should not be included either.

Cardboard -- This is the corrugated type, a wavy middle layer between two flat layers. Boxes should be flattened. Dirty cardboard, pizza boxes or those with food residue can not be recycled and should be put in the regular trash.

Mixed Paper -- Magazines and catalogs (the staples are okay), the glossy section of the newspaper, paperboard boxes (like cereal, pasta, cracker boxes) with the inner liner removed, ads, flyers, old coupons, sweepstakes you resisted entering, used envelopes with or without windows, non-metallic wrapping paper, office and computer paper, junk mail of all types; just about anything that ever met a tree falls into the mixed paper category. Waxed or plastic coated paper, and food soiled paper CAN NOT be included, so leave out milk cartons, drink boxes, fast food cups or ketchup-laden hamburger wrappers.

Phone Books -- Can be recycled with mixed paper.

• Your Pickup Schedule: What to Put Out and When
• Holiday Collection Schedule
• Precycling: Reducing Waste Before Purchase
• Yard Trimmings: Leaves, Grass, and Branches
• Composting: Making Friends of Earthworms
• Glass: What Is and What Isn't Recyclable
• Metals Containers: Just Rinse & Recycle
• Appliances: CFC's And You
• Plastics: Expanded Beyond Bottles
• Got Milk? You can now recycle the container!
• Paper: Newspaper, Cardboard and Junk Mail
• Computer and Electronics Recycling
• Compact Flourescent Bulbs: Recycle - Don’t Break
• Hazardous Materials: Not For the Regular Trash
• Motor Oil and Antifreeze: For the Do-It-Yourselfers
• Dumpsters & Storage Pods - Permit Required
• Donations: Trash to Treasure
• City, County and State Telephone Numbers
• Map to Public Works Department