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Accepted Materials

The City of Saint Paul has a single-sort recycling system, which means all recyclable materials can be placed into one cart. You don’t need to sort items by type.  

Please do not place recyclables in plastic bags.

The following materials can go in your recycling cart.  

CategoryAccepted MaterialsInstructions

Plastic

plastic containers (milk jug, detergent bottle, yogurt tub, shampoo bottle, water bottle, fruit carton)
  • Plastic Containers that are numbered 1, 2, and 5. Examples include:
    • Plastic bottles and jugs
      • Water, soda, and juice bottles
      • Milk and detergent jugs
      • Shampoo, soap, and lotion bottles
    • Plastic cups and containers
      • Yogurt, pudding, and fruit cups
      • Margarine, cottage cheese, and other food tubs
      • Hard-plastic produce and take-out containers
Empty, rinse, and replace caps or lids. Recycle with the cap or lid on.

Metal

recyclables metal items (aluminum cans, steel cans, pie tin, aerosol can, decorative tin)
  • Food and beverage cans
  • Aluminum foil and trays
  • Decorative tins and pie tins
  • Empty aerosol cans (no cans that contained hazardous or flammable materials)
Empty and rinse.

Glass

glass bottles and jars (wine bottle, beer bottle, soda bottle, pickle jar)
  • Food and beverage bottles and jars

Empty, rinse, and remove caps or lids.

Cartons

cartons and cardboard cans
  • Soup, broth, and wine cartons
  • Milk cartons
  • Juice boxes
Empty, rinse, and replace caps or lids. Recycle with the cap or lid on.

Paper

pile of papers (newspaper, mail, magazines, etc)
  • Office and school papers
  • Newspapers and inserts
  • Magazines, mail, and phone books
  • Honeycomb paper (typically used when shipping packages)
  • Brown paper padded envelopes (recyclable if the inside is not lined with plastic)
Keep dry and flat.

Boxes

cardboard boxes (cereal box, tissue box, delivery pizza box, toothpaste box, paper towel tube)
  • Cardboard
  • Delivery pizza boxes
  • Cereal, cracker, shoe, and gift boxes
  • Toiletry boxes
Empty and flatten.

Unaccepted Materials

There are other ways to reuse or recycle many of these materials. Read on for tips to reuse or dispose of materials that can't be collected through our residential recycling collection. 

The following materials cannot go in your recycling cart. 

CategoryUnaccepted MaterialsReuse, Recycle, and Disposal Options

Plastic

A plastic bag filled with other plastic bags and pieces of plastic film. A red diagonal line across it.
  • No plastic bags or film
  • No plastic marked #3, #4, #6, or #7
  • No black plastic
  • No containers larger than three gallons
  • No large plastic storage bins, laundry baskets, or toys
  • Reduce your plastic use by using reusable shopping and produce bags. Buy items in bulk when possible, to reduce packaging.
  • Recycle plastic film and bags (except black plastic) by bringing them to the Ramsey County Environmental Center (17001 Kent St, Roseville, MN 55113).
  • Consider reusing, donating, or selling items in good condition.
  • For unusable items, place them in your garbage.

Hoses, Cords, Lights

An extension cord rolled into a coil, and a tangle of holiday string lights. A red diagonal line goes across it.
  • No tanglers (hoses, cords, or string lights)

Food and Compostable Material

A pile of food scraps, including rotten fruit and empty peels. A red diagonal line runs across it.
  • No food or liquids
  • No compostable materials, including compostable plastics, silverware, or takeout containers.

Styrofoam and Egg Cartons

Stryofoam to-go container with a red line through it.
  • No Styrofoam or paper to-go containers
  • No Styrofoam or paper to-go cups
  • No Styrofoam or paper egg cartons 
  • Place these items in your garbage cart, except for paper egg cartons.
    • Paper egg cartons can be composted. If putting them in your backyard compost, rip into small pieces for faster decomposition.

Electronics and Batteries

A cracked smartphone and two batteries with a red line through it.
  • No batteries or electronics
  • No light bulbs

Hazardous Waste

Pile of empty syringes with a red line through them.
  • No hazardous waste
    • No sharp objects/needles
    • No containers that held hazardous materials
    • No helium or fuel tanks
  • No old medicine

Clothing and Textiles

A gray polo shirt with a red line through it.
  • No clothing
  • No linens, bedsheets, or other textiles

Shredded Paper

Strips of shredded paper with a red line through them.
  • No shredded paper

Scrap Metal and Cookware

A stack of old frying pans and a pile of nails and screws. A diagonal red line runs across the image.
  • No miscellaneous scrap metal pieces
    • No hangers
    • No pipes
    • No nails or screws
  • No dishes or cookware