Last week, Tompkins County Recycling and Materials Management announced that the new curbside recycling guidelines included changes to the accepted materials list for single stream recycling (including curbside recycling).
One category of items that will no longer be accepted is food and beverage cartons such as milk, juice, and soup boxes. These packages can include a combination of paper, aluminum, and plastic.
Note that this change does not affect cardboard boxes and paper/fiber/cardboard egg cartons that fit in the cardboard and mixed paper category. Please continue to recycle clean pizza boxes, cereal boxes, newspaper, mail, magazines, office paper, and paperback books.
Additionally, black plastic items will no longer be accepted. Examples include black plastic takeout containers, black plastic sushi trays, and black plastic bottles. All other plastic containers marked with a number 1, 2, or 5 recycling symbol such as yogurt cups, milk jugs, and detergent bottles continue to be accepted.