How to recycle/dispose of cardboard

Curbside collection: Weekly - recycling
County facilities accepting cardboard:
 Shady Grove Processing Facility & Transfer Station

• Telephone books
• Paper recycling and identity theft


• Opt out of unwanted mail, catalogs, and phone books

How to prepare your paper for collection

Combine all clean paper items and place them in:

• wheeled carts for paper recycling
• order a wheeled cart
• small bundles set next to, or on top of, your blue recycling bin. Bundle your paper with
• strong twine
• small cardboard boxes with secure lids
• small paper bags

Do not use yard trim bags for your recyclable paper! When recycling collection crews see these at the curb, they will assume that they contain leaves, grass, or brush.

Cardboard boxes do not need to be cut to size, tied, or flattened for collection. (However, flattened boxes make collections more efficient.) Simply set your boxes out next to your blue bin for collection.

What if my paper or cardboard gets wet?

If your paper or cardboard items get wet because of rain, snow, or ice, we will still pick them up on your recycling day.

Even when the outside of paper bundles is wet, the material inside is usually dry. If you know that wet weather is in the forecast for your collection day, you may like to hold your paper items for the following week’s collection.

Dry paper and cardboard are best. The easiest way to keep these items dry is by collecting them and setting them at the curb in a wheeled paper recycling cart.

Do not put your paper or cardboard into plastic bags to keep it dry. We do not accept recyclables in plastic bags.

We cannot accept mildewed paper or cardboard.

We accept:

• newspapers and inserts
• white and colored office and printing paper
• shredded paper - shredded paper preparation details
• books
• hardcover books
• paperback books
• telephone books
• spiral-bound notebooks
• magazines and catalogs
• boxes
  • cardboard boxes
  • cereal boxes
  • juice and drink boxes
  • pizza boxes, without sauce or cheese residue
  • produce and fruit boxes
  • shoe boxes
  • snack food and cookie boxes
  • other boxes
• egg cartons (cardboard only)
• paper bags
• frozen food containers (frozen meals and vegetables)
• paper ice cream containers and lids
• milk and juice cartons
• paper coffee and beverage cups
• unwanted mail (with or without windows)
• wrapping paper
• all other clean and dry paper

Please rinse all paper milk, juice and drink cartons and remove their plastic caps before placing these materials in your mixed paper recycling cart.

Staples, paper clips, and plastic "windows" do not need to be removed.

Sorry, we cannot accept:

• carbon paper
• foil gift wrap
• leather-bound books
• packing material such as styrofoam or plastic
• paper or cardboard contaminated with paint, chemicals, food, or used kitty litter.
• used paper towels, napkins, or tissues
  • These are paper products, but are frequently contaminated with food or other materials.
• photographs/photographic paper, because of the coatings used on this type of paper. Please dispose of as trash.

Please do not place plastic bags, plastic wrap or Styrofoam® products in your mixed paper recycling container.

Never place syringes or other sharps in a carton that is to be placed in the mixed paper recycling cart and never place syringes or other sharps directly in the mixed paper recycling container.

Telephone Books

Telephone books are collected year-round for recycling as a component of mixed paper.

To recycle telephone books from your single-family home, apartment or condominium, or business, please remove any plastic bags or shrink wrap from the books. Then, place them out for collection with your other mixed paper.

"How to recycle/dispose of..." Index

This information last updated 5/13/2013.