What Can Be Composted, Recycled, and Thrown Away

Compost, Recycle, or Trash? Part One

April 14, 2010

This April, honor thy mother earth as we celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. Since I've been learning some new things about composting lately, I want to test your trash smarts. I'll give you an item, and you tell me whether it should be composted, recycled, or tossed in the trash.

14 Comments

3 years

Usually the dry cleaner will take back hangers to reuse them. I would definitely check with your local cleaners.

Akasha 3 years

I live in LA and we recycle milk cartons and hangers.

bryseana 3 years

I've never tried to recycle milk cartons, because in my area empty containers must be clean. Milk residue can be difficult to clean out of a paper made container. I have recycled milk gallons that come in the plastic containers. Maybe that's what people are referring to. I always reuse wire hangers, and even plastic ones from retailers. This quiz was helpful.

bryseana 3 years

nancita 3 years

Wow, I wish we had coat hanger recycling here!

3 years

You can recycle milk cartons in Jackson, Mississippi.

manxy 3 years

Whole Foods is now accepting corks for recycling. Even our little rural town has us put milk/juice containers in for recycling. The local dry cleaner takes their hangers back, which to me is recycling. So basically, find out what your area allows/encourages in regards to recycling. This is definately a case of one-size-fits-all does not apply.

manxy 3 years

bluebellknoll 3 years

You can recycle milk cartons and wire hangers in my city too.

jessiebabz 3 years

the coat hangers answer is incorrect - in los angeles county (and i imagine other places as well) you can recycle metal coat hangers. at least add a note to check local guidelines so that people aren't sending recycleable items to the landfill!

3 years

Turns out Arlington also accepts wire hangers for recycling. It seems different programs accept different items for recycling and saying that one "cannot" recycle an item is misleading.

3 years

Yeah, Arlington, VA accepts milk cartons for recylcing as well. Also, our local dry-cleaners has a bin for "recycling" (probably reusing though) coat hangers.