El Paso Recycling – What You Can And Can’t Recycle

The City of El Paso recently announced that they are cracking down on people who throw the wrong things in their recycling bins. If you are caught putting non-recyclable items in your blue bin, it can be taken away and you'll have to go to a class to get it back.

To avoid that, print out this list of things you can and can't recycle and you won't have to go to garbage school.

RECYCLABLE PAPER PRODUCTS

• Newspaper and advertising inserts
• Junk or advertising mail and envelopes
• Colored or white paper
• Cereal and dry food boxes (without the liner)
• Paperback and hardback books
• Cardboard egg cartons
• Magazines, catalogs and phone books
• Paper wrapping paper
• Shredded paper (paper should be bagged)
• Flattened cardboard boxes
• Frozen food boxes
• Paper bags

RECYCLABLE METAL PRODUCTS

• Soda and another aluminum cans
• Canned food cans and their caps or lids
• Aluminum foil
• Aluminum trays
• Clothes hangers (bundled)
• Pots or pans (without wood, plastic or rubber attachments)

RECYCLABLE PLASTICS PRODUCTS

• Yogurt, dairy and margarine tubs and lids
• Milk, juice, soda and other beverage bottles and their caps
• Shampoo and conditioner bottles
• Window, bathroom and kitchen cleaning bottles
• Detergent and fabric softener bottles
• Bubble wrap
• CD cases
• Shrink wrap
• Clear deli trays
• Empty prescription or over-the-counter medicine vials and caps
• Stadium cup
• Durable reusable containers and lids (Tupperware-type materials)
• Clamshell containers (those with a black base and clear lid)
• Rigid plastics (laundry baskets, lawn furniture, buckets and toys if they can fit inside your blue bin with the lid closed)
• Food jars and squeezable bottles (mayonnaise, salad dressing, vegetable oils, mustard, ketchup, barbeque sauce and syrup)
• Plastic bags (Bags must be bagged. Please place several clean, empty bags inside one bag.)

IF YOU ARE RECYCLING FOOD CONTAINERS, MAKE SURE THERE IS NO FOOD INSIDE OF THEM

ITEMS YOU CANNOT RECYCLE

Food waste
• Food-soiled containers
• Tires
• Glass. Glass bottles and jars may be taken to 1034 Pendale.
• Yard waste
• Garden/water hoses
• Styrofoam or packing peanuts
• Clothes, shoes and clothing accessories
• Wax or plastic coated boxes, plastic or paper products
• Soiled paper or tissue
• Disposable diapers
• Pool tarps or covers
• Automotive parts and containers that held automotive products
• Disposable dishware and utensils (items commonly used at picnics, parties or barbecues)
• Aerosol spray cans (helium tanks, spray paint, air fresheners and cleaning products)
• Latex paint cans and lids containing hardened or solidified paint, stain, varnishes and paint thinner containers
• Scissors and other sharp items
• Light bulbs
• Construction material, carpet or carpet pads
• Alkaline batteries
• Electronics and small appliances (toasters, microwaves, coffeemakers, etc…) Electronics may be taken to a Citizen Collection Station or the Greater El Paso Landfill.

You can take your trash to the landfill at 2300 Darrington. It is open 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday. If you have a large amount of recyclables, you can go to Citizen Collection Stations. They are open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and are located at: 4501 Hondo Pass; 2492 Harrison; 121 Atlantic; and 1034 Pendale.