Accepted Materials

The City og 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
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

icon indicating no plastic bags allowed in recycling
  • 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 by bringing them to a drop-off location (PlasticFilmRecycling.org).
  • Consider reusing, donating, or selling items in good condition.
  • For unusable items, place them in your garbage.

Hoses, Cords, Lights

icon indicating no cords allowed in recycling
  • No tanglers (hoses, cords, or string lights)

Food and Compostable Material

icon indicating no food or liquids allowed in recycling
  • No food or liquids
  • No compostable materials, including compostable plastics, silverware, or takeout containters.

Styrofoam and Egg Cartons

icon indicating no take-out containers allowed in recycling
  • 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

icon indicating no electronics or batteries allowed in recycling
  • No batteries or electronics
  • No light bulbs

Hazardous Waste

icon indicating no needles or sharps allowed in recycling
  • No hazardous waste
    • No sharp objects/needles
    • No containers that held hazardous materials
    • No helium or fuel tanks
  • No old medicine

Clothing and Textiles

  • No clothing
  • No linens, bedsheets, or other textiles

Shredded Paper

  • No shredded paper

Scrap Metal and Cookware

  • No miscellaneous scrap metal pieces
    • No hangers
    • No pipes
    • No nails or screws
  • No dishes or cookware

Last Edited: March 28, 2025