What is Recyclable in Our Program

Recycling can be confusing, but we are here to help! Click here to download a list of items that should go in the bin; hang this list near your recycling bin at home for handy reference. A number with a recycling symbol on an item does not indicate local recycling capabilities. It feels great to recycle but unacceptable or contaminated items in the bin cause more harm than good; remember when in doubt, leave it out! 

Always keep recyclables loose in the bin – never bag your recyclables or place plastic bags in the bin. Plastic bags become tangled in the machinery at the processing plant. Most large retail and grocery chains offer a plastic bag recycling drop-off location, usually located at the front of the store. Click here for more information about retail drop-off for plastic bags. 

Place these items LOOSE IN THE BIN, NOT BAGGED

  • Glass Bottles and Jars (empty and rinsed, remove lids), all colors, food, and beverage.
  • Aluminum and Tin Cans (empty and rinsed), food and beverage containers.
  • Mixed paper (clean and dry); paper, envelopes, newspaper, catalogs, magazines, mail, phone books, paper bags, paperboard (food and snack boxes, shoe boxes), clean cardboard, non-metallic greeting cards, and wrapping paper. Please, no shredded paper or soiled cardboard.
  • Plastic: Think "Bottles, Tubs, Jars, and Jugs" only! (empty and rinse, leave plastic lids); bottles (like for water, salad dressing, or shampoo), jars (items with screw-on lids, like for peanut butter, medicines, or hand cream), jugs (containers with a molded handle, like for milk or detergent), and tubs (items typically with snap-on lids, like for margarine or coffee, and also includes small buckets). Numbers on items do not reflect local program capabilities. 

If a material is not on the list, it may be accepted at the free drop-off site at the Recycling Center at the Northern Landfill, located at 1400 Baltimore Boulevard, Westminster, MD 21157. The hours of operation are Monday-Friday, 7 am – 4:30 pm, and Saturday, 7 am – 3 pm. To contact the Northern Landfill, call 410-386-4550 during business hours. Click here for information about what can be recycled at the Recycling Center.

For information about curbside recycling services, including how to obtain a bin, see the Recycling and Trash Service page. 

Carroll County does not endorse products, services, or vendors; links are included for informational purposes only.