Happy Earth Day, Denver!

In honor of Earth Day, we're sharing a quick guide to recycling correctly, because what goes in your bin matters just as much as the act of recycling itself. Wish-cycling (tossing something in and hoping for the best) can contaminate entire loads and send more waste to the landfill. So let's get it right!

What IS accepted:

• Plastic cups, bottles, and tubs (milk, juice, soda, water, yogurt, margarine)

• Aluminum beverage cans

• Tin and steel cans (soup, fruit, vegetables, pet food)

• Aluminum foil, clean and balled up

• Aluminum catering and pie trays

• Glass jars and bottles

• Cereal and cracker boxes

• Shipping and delivery boxes, flattened and cut to no larger than 2 ft x 2 ft

• Non-greasy pizza boxes, recycle the clean part, toss the greasy portion

• Mail and office paper

What is NOT accepted:

• Plastic bags

• Bubble wrap

• Styrofoam

• Scrap metal

• Foil bags (like potato chip bags)

• Paper towels, napkins, or tissues

• Paper plates

• Wrapping paper

• Books

• Anything with food or liquid residue that can't be removed

  
  

The golden rule: when in doubt, throw it out. A contaminated recycling bin does more harm than good. A little extra attention goes a long way, for our city and our planet.

From all of us at the Downtown Denver Partnership, happy Earth Day!