Salt Lake City has a robust recycling program that a majority of residents participate in. However, there are some restrictions. It all has to do with the “stream.” That would be the flow of trash that is deemed recyclable. That stream needs to be consistent. It means keeping certain items out of your recycling bin. Here are the Salt Lake City recycling facts that you should know direct from the city:

“Plastic grocery bags are recyclable, but not in your curbside recycling bin.  The best way to recycle grocery bags and other plastic film is to take it back to the grocery store with you and place it in the bag-recycling box provided.  This includes all clean and dry #2 and #4 plastic film such as dry cleaner bags, newspaper bags, bread bags, Ziploc bags, etc. Any plastic container (bottles, tubs, jugs and jars) can be recycled in Salt Lake County regardless of the number or chasing arrows. Other plastics generally are not recyclable.”

That takes care of plastic but what about paper? All newspapers, magazines and copy paper are recyclable. What isn’t? Paper towels:

“Paper products such as paper towels, napkins, tissue paper and toilet paper are not recyclable. The paper fibers used to create these products are too small to be recycled again, and most are contaminated by food additionally.”

Metal cans are great recyclable materials but do they need special prep? Not according to the city:

“There is no need to detach the can label, just makes sure any gobs of food are cleaned out of the can and toss it in your recycling bin. A quick rinse will suffice.  Make sure they are drained of any liquids and scrape out any gobs of food left in containers.  We recommend rinsing with dirty dishwater to conserve water when additional rinsing is necessary.”

That covers the basics of kitchen recycling but what about the bigger items you would like to get rid of around the house like a mattress, refrigerator, television or other bulky objects. There are recycling drop offs around the city for most of those items but you have to do all the work. That means renting a truck, loading the item, driving to the drop off and having a crew to unload. A much better way is to hire Junk King Salt Lake City. These junk removal pros have been making recycling drop offs ever since they began operations in Salt Lake City. Recycling doesn’t have to be a hassle when Junk King Salt Lake City is in charge.