Unfortunately, even though these pots have an arrow symbol on them, they are NOT recyclable in our single stream system. You might be able to take them back to a plant nursery and they will likely reuse them! In the Roaring Fork Valley, Eagle Crest Nursery, Mountain Greenery, and Lowe’s will all accept used plastic pots.

Styrofoam is NOT recyclable in Pitkin County. The best thing to do with Styrofoam is avoid using it or reuse it for shipping or put it in the trash if you can’t.

Plant based plastics (#7) are typically made from corn or sugar cane, not petroleum, so they CANNOT be recycled. But you can compost them!

Make sure to look at the bottom of the cup to see if it is made from plant materials. If it is labeled as a #7 plastic, or there is any indication on the cup that it is made from plants or is compostable/biodegradable, it is NOT recyclable.

Almost! If the paperboard holds frozen foods or liquids (i.e., coffee or soup) it CANNOT be recycled. If it holds dry or refrigerated foods, it’s good to go (i.e., cereal boxes, tissue boxes, dry packages)!

Either! Because of its low quality, newspaper is better to compost than recycle, but both will accept newspaper.

Propane canisters are NOT recyclable. They are highly dangerous because they are pressurized and must be emptied carefully at the Pitkin County Solid Waste Center (PCSWC) Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) facility. DO NOT pierce the canister yourself; take it to the HHW at the PCSWC to dispose of properly.

Aerosol cans need to be taken directly to the Pitkin County Solid Waste Center (PCSWC) for them to be disposed of properly. DO NOT put these in the trash or recycle, take them directly to the PCSWC.

Sports equipment such as skis/snowboards, boots, bikes, soccer and basketballs are NOT recyclable. Bring these items to the Motherlode Mercantile or take to local consignment or thrift stores to repurpose them.

Only untreated, unpainted, and unstained wood can be recycled. Although all wood must be taken to the Pitkin County Solid Waste Center for them to recycle specifically. Wood CANNOT be recycled in single-stream recycling.

Yes! When boxes are not broken down, they must be flattened at the recycling facility, which increases labor costs and makes recycling more expensive.

Yes!

No, plastics bags should NEVER be put in single-stream recycling, they jam the machinery, and it takes time and labor to remove them, which increases the cost of recycling. Bring plastic bags to the Pitkin County Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Center for collection. City of Aspen City Hall and some of the grocers and retailers down valley from Aspen have dedicated receptacle for recycling plastic bags (City Market, Target, etc.).

Styrofoam packing peanuts, plastic air pillows, bubble wrap and any other plastic packing materials should be taken to local shipping stores (UPS or Millennium Pack and Ship in Aspen) to be reused or thrown in the trash. They are NOT recyclable. Some packing peanuts, however, are compostable! You can identify these by putting them in water and if they begin to disintegrate, they are compostable!

Paper coffee cups are NOT recyclable. Disposable coffee cups are lined with a thin layer of plastic. Some disposable coffee cups are compostable, though, so look to see if it’s labeled as certified compostable before throwing it in the trash!

No, shredded paper is NOT recyclable in the single stream system. The machinery used to recycle paper does not register such small pieces and they contaminate other recyclables. Shredded paper is great to compost, but if you do not have access to compost or a shredded paper recycling service (PaperWise), then please place it in the trash.

Light bulbs are NOT recyclable in single-stream recycling. They must be taken to designated locations to be disposed of properly. City Hall 2nd floor, Alpine Bank, and the Pitkin County Solid Waste Center all accept used CFL light bulbs and fluorescent bulbs to recycle properly, other bulbs (i.e. LEDs and incandescent light bulbs) may be thrown away.

If a pizza box has any grease on it, it CANNOT be recycled. However, it can be composted.

Yes! Any cartons that are labeled as a “Tetra Pak” are recyclable!

No. Soft paper such as napkins and tissues are NOT recyclable. They are great in compost, though!