Materials that are accepted in the Chicago Blue Cart Program & Recycling Drop-off Centers:

• Glass jars and bottles
• Aluminum cans, foil and pie tins
• Tin or Steel cans
• Cereal boxes, paper towel rolls
• Cardboard (flatten all boxes)
• Plastic bottles and containers (# 1-5, 7 accepted)
• Junk mail, magazines and catalogs
• Telephone books
• Paper bags
• Office paper and file folders
• Newspaper and inserts
• Beverage cartons (milk, juice, soy cartons)
• Beverage carrier stock: plastic rings and cardboard carrying cases
• wrapping paper (no bows or ribbons, please)
• paper greeting cards

Find a Residential Recycling Drop Off Center

Materials that are NOT accepted in the Blue Cart Program & Recycling Drop-off Centers and should be donated if reusable:

• Clothes and linens
• Plastic or metal hangers
• #6 Plastics (polystyrene or Styrofoam)
• Diapers or feminine products
• Construction debris (bricks, wood, cement, etc.)
• Paint or spray paint
• Unnumbered plastics (toothbrushes, toys, hoses, cereal box liners, etc.)
• Loose plastic shopping bags (bring those back to retailers for recycling)
• Hard, reusable plastic bottles (like Nalgene or baby bottles)

To find an outlet for materials not accepted in the Blue Cart program, visit www.earth911.com to use their recycling finder.