What to Recycle

Click here for the Acton Transfer Station Recycling Guide PDF

Recycle Smart Guides:

Paper & Cardboard
  PAPER AND CARDBOARD  How to PrepareDO NOT INCLUDE
 Newspaper and insertsLoose or in paper bags (no plastic)Plastic bags
  • See "Unacceptable Items"
Paper contaminated with food or vegetable oil
  • See “Compost”, no free-flowing oils
Used paper towels & napkins
  • See “Compost”
Used paper plates & cups
  • Trash if wax/plastic coating or see “Compost”
Paper contaminated with paint/debris
  • Trash
Ice cream or frozen food coated packaging
  • Trash due to plastic coating
Tyvek mailing envelopes or bubble wrap
  • See "Unacceptable Materials”
Waxed cardboard produce boxes
  • Trash
Shredded paper, gift wrap
  • Trash, not accepted by facility
 Corrugated cardboard Flatten boxes
 Chipboard, cereal/pasta/shoe boxes, file folders, cardboard egg cartonsFlatten boxes; plastic windows OK, remove all liners and plastic bags
Office paper, junk mail, magazines, catalogs, glossy paper, phone books, paper bagsPlastic windows OK, paper bags must be clean and empty
 Pizza boxesGrease OK, no food/cheese
 Unused paper platesNo grease, food scraps, or wax coating
 Hard and soft cover books Donate or recycle as is
 Paper goodsOK with staples, spiral bindings, plastic envelope windows
Plastic film and plastic bags are NOT permitted in recycling



Comingled Glass, Metal, Plastic
GLASS, METAL, PLASTICHow to PrepareDO NOT INCLUDE
Glass bottles and jars (all colors)Include in commingled, neck rings OK, rinsed & dryWindow glass, lightbulbs
  • Trash
Drinking glasses, Pyrex, ceramics
  • Trash or donate
Metal parts or scrap metal
  • Send to Scrap Metal area
Latex paint cans
  • Pop lid to dry then trash
Styrofoam/polystyrene
  • *Collected on collection days
  • See “Additional Accepted Materials”
Compostable ware
  • See “Compost”
Gable-top cartons (milk, juice, etc.)
  • Trash
Aseptic rectangular "cartons" (juice boxes, soymilk, etc.)
  • Trash
Aerosol Cans
  • Trash if empty or see “Unacceptable Materials”
Dark or soft plastic, pieces smaller than a credit card, waxed containers, plastic utensils
  • Trash
Metal food and beverage cans and lids (steel, tin, aluminum)Empty, rinsed, & dry, labels OK
Clear plastic bottles, jars, jugs, containers, or tubsDo not flatten, plastic caps may be left on, neck rings OK
Aluminum foil, pie plates, traysClean & Dry
Foil: crumple into 2 inch ball (or larger) for capture by equipment
Bulky / rigid plastic items (plastic toys, rigid wading pools, crates, etc.)Remove any batteries, deposit in Rigid Plastics area
ABSOLUTELY NO PLASTIC BAGS, PLASTIC WRAPPING & PLASTIC FILM COVERS (even with recycle symbol)
They tangle and jam sorting equipment; recycle at stores (see “plastic film” recycling info below), or send to trash 

 

 Additional Materials Accepted for Recycling
Material How to Prepare DO NOT INCLUDE
STYROFOAMTM Click here for collection datesDO NOT INCLUDE
White rigid Styrofoam/polystyrene, Styrofoam coolers, bulk packing block

Bring to scheduled Styrofoam collection (Must be clean)

Any food containers / food trays (can contaminate load), packing peanuts, cups, plates, pool noodles.
  • Trash



SCRAP METAL  DO NOT INCLUDE
 Scrap MetalDeposit in Scrap Metal areaWiry material
  • Trash,  jams equipment



FLUORESCENT LIGHT BULBS DO NOT INCLUDE
Compact fluorescent lightbulbs, fluorescent tubesDeposit in Fluorescents areaIncandescent/LED bulbs
  • Trash



BATTERIES DO NOT INCLUDE
Button & rechargeable batteries (some hazardous contents including mercury) Deposit in E-Waste areaAlkaline batteries such as AA, AAA
  • OK to trash



YARD WASTE DO NOT INCLUDE
Grass, leaves, plants, brush, twigs, logsBring loose, brush less than 18 inches in diameterPlastic or paper bags  
Wood chips, easily raked materialBring loose or in bins to dumpStumps
Christmas treesRemove tinsel from trees 



E-WASTE  DO NOT INCLUDE
Electronics (E-Waste), (cellphones, computers, monitors, CRTs, hard drives etc.)Deposit in E-Waste area Some items for fee (monitors, computers, TVs) 
Batteries must be removed. Cell phones go to gatehouse at entrance



DONATION AREA DO NOT INCLUDE
Gently used items may be donated to the Transfer Station Swap ShopClean, dry, in working condition
See Swap Shop guidelines for accepted items (link on page 1)
Clothing/textiles may be donated to Red Cross, Salvation Army or Textile Recycling-Reuse ProgramAll clean, dry, odorless textiles accepted: rips, stains OK; shoes, belts, curtains, bedding OK
Mildewed, damp or dirty items



CONCRETE, CEMENT, BRICKS, DIRT   
Concrete, cement, bricks, dirtDeposit in Concrete/Cement area 



WASTE OIL DO NOT INCLUDE 
Used motor oil and antifreezeIn disposable container, see gatehouse attendant
Solvents, gasoline, water or debris



LARGE ITEMS



Mattresses, Freon, refrigerators, car batteries, large itemsMattresses: deposit in Mattress area for a fee
Other items: See gatehouse attendant


 UNACCEPTABLE ITEMS

- Chemicals/Solvents: oil paints/stains, pesticides, gasoline, arts & crafts supplies (solvents), photo chemicals, pool chemicals, thinners & solvents
- Household/Yard Waste: asbestos fluorescent fixtures with ballast, large propane tanks, stumps
- Other: medical waste, railroad ties, 55 gallon drums (unless cut in half with ends removed)

 Some items on the “unacceptable” list may be disposed of during Household Hazardous Waste Day. For more info on Household Hazardous Waste Day, see our Hazardous Waste Webpage.

- SEE GATEHOUSE ATTENDANT for these items handled at no charge: button batteries, rechargeable batteries, cell phones, antifreeze; and for these items handled for small fee: monitors, televisions, CRT’s, hard drives, bulky items such as small propane tanks, car batteries, and mattresses.

- “PLASTIC FILM” RECYCLING: for information and drop-off store locations for recycling plastic grocery bags and other related “plastic film” items (bread bags, produce bags, dry cleaner bags, cereal box liners, plastic packaging on paper towels, Ziploc bags, etc.), click here.

Additional Resources