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1. Should I remove my bottle caps?

Caps may remain on bottles and placed in your recycle cart. Please ensure that the bottle has been rinsed out, however.

2. What do I do with plastic bags?

Plastic bags are highly recyclable, but not through your curbside program. The Tri-County Recycling Facility is not designed to for plastic bags, the bags can get stuck and wrapped around machinery during the sorting process causing the entire system to be shut down to be repaired.

Other Alternative

Please take your plastic bags, wraps and other film plastics to a local retail or grocery store to be recycled. You can find a list of sites that accept plastic bags by entering your zip code at the Plastic Film Recycling website.

3. Can I recycle aluminum foil and pie pans?

The Tri-County Recycling Program does not accept aluminum foil and pans because they are made from lower grade aluminum than the aluminum used to make beverage cans. You may recycle aluminum pans and foil through a local scrap metal dealer.

4. What should I do with shredded paper?

Check out this link for additional information!

https://www.browncountyrecycling.org/shredded-paper#:~:text=In%20response%20to%20these%20issues,carts%20or%20commercial%20recycling%20dumpsters.

5. Are pizza boxes recyclable?

Pizza boxes are recyclable. Cut or tear out the soiled portions of your pizza box and put them in your trash. Only the "food-free" portions can be put into your recycling bin.

6. Can I put styrofoam in the recycling cart?

No! Styrofoam is a type of plastic called polystyrene and is not part of the recycling process for Brown County. This includes:

• Cups
• Packaging Materials
• Packing Peanuts
• Styrofoam Egg Cartons
• Take-Out Containers

7. What plastics are recyclable?

Thin plastic such as water and soda bottles, dairy containers, and deli containers are recyclable. Hard, molded plastics such as children's toys and refillable plastic bottles are not recyclable in our area.

Other Alternatives

Pass on old children's toys to someone else/sell/donate. Re-purpose plastics by doing a craft!

Additional Information

If you would like more information on recycling, use the Brown County Resource Recovery Facility's website or the Tri-County Recycle Guide 2016 (PDF).

8. What should I do with wet cardboard?

If the cardboard is soggy from liquid, it can still be recycled. Place what you can in your recycle cart. If there is too much to fit inside the cart, you must take it to the Brown County Recycling Center. Do not put it next to the recycle cart as it will not get picked up.