What to Recycle

According to the EPA, as many as 35% of households in America don't recycle. Less than 10% of businesses in the country aren't recycling either. This represents an immense opportunity not only to help save the environment and adopt green waste management policies, but save money and space while doing so. Flood Brothers Disposal serves over 150 communities in the Chicagoland and Northern Illinois areas with their recycling needs -- homes as well as commercial and industrial businesses and construction sites. See Recycle Across America for more interesting and staggering statistics about recycling.

The examples of the impact of recycling will astound you. Recycling just 1 ton of cardboard trash can save up to 46 gallons of oil. One person has the opportunity, on average, to recycle over 25,000 cans in a lifetime -- think of how much soda you drink and soup you eat! About half of the food in the United States goes to waste. Glass can be produced and recycled an infinite number of times. The list goes on.

What to Recycle

Part of what you can do to make the recycling experience go smoothly is to recycle the proper trash items, as well as keeping them sorted. We've put together a helpful list of items that can (and cannot) be recycled.

We thank you for joining us in our efforts to be the cleanest and greenest waste management and disposal company in Chicagoland. Learn more about our family owned company!

RECYCLING ELECTRONIC WASTE

Do you have an old computer, laptop, tablet, or other piece of gadgetry that you want to get rid of in a responsible, green way? Here's some helpful information on electronics recycling.

WHAT I CAN RECYCLE:

  • Aluminum food and beverage cans
  • Ferrous (iron), steel and tin cans
  • Foil and pie tins
  • Corrugated cardboard, cereal boxes
  • Chipboard
  • Telephone books
  • Newspapers, junk mail and envelopes
  • Catalogs and magazines
  • Office and copy paper (without wax liners)
  • Clear, green and brown glass bottles and jars
  • Juice and soda bottles, 6- and 12-pack rings
  • Detergent and shampoo bottles
  • PET plastic containers with the #1 symbol-screw tops only,
    without the caps, no black trays
  • Water and milk jugs/cardboard cartons (with #2 symbol)
  • Plastics with the #3, #4, #5 or #7 symbol

WHAT CANNOT BE RECYCLED AT CURBSIDE? (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO):

PLASTICS ELECTRONICS MISCELLANEOUS PUTRESIBLE TRASH
Bags Appliances Aluminum Blinds Animal Waste
CD or Cassette Plastic Cases Cable Aluminum Siding Cooking Oil & Grease
Cover Sheets Calculators Ammunition Diapers
Crates Cameras Audio Cassette Tapes Food Waste
Cups (clear or colored) CD Players/Recorders Auto Parts Human Waste
Diapers Circuit Boards Bathroom Waste Kitchen Waste
Dinner Ware Clocks Batteries  
Drain Tile Computers Cabinets (Metal or Wood) MEDICAL WASTES
Driveway Sealer Pails Computer Discs Carpet Bandages
DVD Cases Computer Keyboards Carpet Padding Bedding
Film from packaging Computer Monitors Ceramic Tiles Bloody Rags
Flexible food & beverage pouches Computer Mouses Clothing IV Bags
Flower Pots with dirt Computer Printers Construction Debris IV Tubing
Furniture DVD Players/Recorders Crayons, Chalk, Markers Medicine Bottles
Garden Planter Trays w/ Dirt Electric Extension Cords Drywall Sharps
Garbage Containers Electronic Consumer Goods Fencing Syringes
Garment Bags Flashlights Fireworks  
Hangars Holiday Light Strands Furniture YARD WASTE
Herbicide Containers Light Bulbs Garden Hose Brush
Holiday Light Packaging Racks Light Fixtures Garden Tools Branches
Hoses MP3 Players / I-Pods Gasoline Cans Compost
Inflatable Rafts, Toys, Etc. Pagers Glassware Grass
Insecticide Containers PDAs Gutters Leaves
Landscaping Edging Radios Hangars Mulch
Laundry Baskets Switches Hardware Shrubs
Lawn Furniture Telephones Hose Reels Soil
Oil Containers TVs Hubcaps from autos Trees
Picnic Coolers VCRs Inner-tubes Tree Stumps
Picture Frames   Lawn Furniture Wood Chips
Pipe HOUSE WARES Lawn Fertilizer Spreaders Wreaths
Plastic Hose Ceramics Lawn Sprinklers  
Plastic Sheets China Dishes Liquids CHEMICAL WASTE
Plastic Trim & Molding Cook Ware Medical Waste Absorbents
Plastic Wood Crockery Metal Scrap Acids
Plates (clear or colored) Crystal Mirrors Alkalis
Polystyrene Cups, Plates Dinner Ware Motors Fertilizers
Polystyrene Dinnerware Glass Ware Oil Dry Herbicides
Polystyrene Insulation Porcelain Pallets Insecticides
Polystyrene Packaging Pots and Pans Pencils, Pens, Rulers, Etc. Grease
Recycling Bins Pottery Pipes Oil
Shower Curtains Silver Ware Pottery Oil Dry
Storage Containers Vases Propane Tanks Paint
Stretch Film   Radioactive Waste Stain
Swimming Pools FIBER Rocks/Stones/Brick Solvents
Swimming Pool Liners Asbestos Roofing Material Sorbents
Table Cloths Burnt Paper Rope/Twine/String  
Tackle Boxes Carbon Paper Rubber Hoses & Parts EXPLOSIVES & ARMS
Tarps Wall Paper Rugs Ammunition
Thermos Bottles Wax Paper Saw Dust Bullets
Tool Boxes   Scrap and Sheet Metal Fireworks
Toys HAZARDOUS WASTE Shelving Guns
Tubing See EPA List Sporting Goods Gunpowder
Tupperware See Chemical Wastes Textiles Hand Grenades
Utensils See Medical Wastes Tires Shells
Vapor Barrier Insulation Sheets   Toilet Seats  
Vinyl Siding RADIOACTIVE WASTES Tools  
Waste Baskets All Umbrellas  
Water Cooler Bottles   Vases  
Window Blinds   VCR Tapes  
    Window Glass  
    Wood