By Department of Public Works Staff
Not all recyclables are created equal. While Baltimore County appreciates all your recycling efforts, at the end of the day, we are looking for quality over quantity in the bin. Well-intentioned “wishcycling” causes contamination, lowering the quality and marketability of the recyclables we collect. And when it comes to recycling, some materials are simply more valuable than others. We get a lot of questions about the recyclability of items that are not listed in our recycling guide. In truth, it’s best to keep it simple by focusing on the materials that are listed in our accepted recyclables guide. To give you a brief overview, here’s a rundown of Baltimore County’s Top Five Most Wanted Recyclables.
Most Wanted #5: Glass bottles and jars (all colors)
Did you know that producing glass from virgin materials requires 30 percent more energy than producing it from crushed, used glass? Baltimore County accepts glass containers for recycling–think pasta sauce jars, soda bottles, pickle jars, wine bottles and containers for cosmetics and toiletries. If the glass container has a pump, spray nozzle or any metal or plastic components, remove them prior to placing the container in the recycling bin. There is no need to remove labels. Just make sure your glass bottles and jars are empty before recycling them. No corks please, though caps and lids are okay.
Most Wanted #4: Mixed paper
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Americans use about 69 million tons of paper and paperboard every year; of that, an average 275 pounds of paper per person is recovered for recycling. Baltimore County accepts mixed paper for recycling. This includes items such as newspaper, magazines, printer paper, junk mail, books, envelopes, milk cartons, paper bags, juice boxes, ice cream containers and paperboard (cereal boxes, shoe boxes, frozen food packaging, etc.). Paper or cardboard covered by wax, plastic or food is not accepted for recycling. However, the portion of a pizza box not covered with grease or food is accepted for recycling.
Most Wanted #3: Cardboard (flattened)
In 2017, the EPA found that corrugated boxes were the largest single product category of municipal solid waste, at 32.5 million tons generated. The good news? The recycling rate for corrugated cardboard boxes was 88 percent. Here in Baltimore County, you can recycle cardboard boxes used for moving, shipping, packaging and more. Just remember to break your cardboard boxes down before putting them out for collection.
Most Wanted #2: Plastic containers and rigid plastics
According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, people throw away enough plastic every year to circle the earth four times. It’s best to choose products not sold in plastic packaging, but if that is not possible, please recycle the plastic container if you can. In Baltimore County, you can recycle a) all plastic bottles and jugs; b) wide-mouth plastic containers, like those used for butter, cottage cheese, peanut butter, yogurt, mayonnaise, sour cream and whipped topping containers; and c) rigid plastics, such as buckets, drinking cups, coolers, five-gallon water bottles, flower pots, lawn furniture, pallets, plastic window well covers and clothes hangers (pieces must not exceed 3 by 5 feet in size). Laundry baskets, garbage containers and recycling containers will be collected for recycling if a note requesting this is prominently attached. Pay no attention to the number on the bottom of a plastic container; it does not determine whether that item is recyclable in Baltimore County. Consult the County’s accepted materials list for questions about plastic containers.
Most Wanted #1: Aluminum and steel containers
According to The Aluminum Association, the aluminum industry spends more than $800 million dollars on recycled cans annually, yet U.S. residents throw away more than $700 million worth of aluminum cans every year. As for steel, it is 100 percent infinitely recyclable without loss of quality, such that new steel products contain an average of 37 percent recycled steel, according to The World Steel Association. Please recycle all your aluminum and steel food and beverage containers, such as soda cans, soup and vegetable cans, tuna and cat food cans, aluminum foil and pie pans, all-metal coffee cans and more. Empty aerosol cans (except pesticide and spray paint cans) may also be recycled. Many steel and aluminum items that are not accepted by our curbside recycling program can be taken to one of the County’s three resident drop-off facilities.
Remember, you can simplify your recycling routine–or start a new one–by focusing primarily on the materials listed on our accepted recyclables list. Happy recycling!
Want to go the extra mile in helping us improve the quality of our recyclables? Share this information with your household members, family and friends. For more information on Baltimore County’s curbside recycling collection program, visit BaltimoreCountyMD.gov/Recycling.