Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation has tightened its regulations over what it will accept – imposing $250 fees on “contaminated” recycle loads, so the Town of East Greenwich is asking residents to make sure to recycle only those items that are allowed.

Here are items to KEEP OUT of your blue container:

• No plastic bags (take clean plastic bags back to the supermarket instead)
• No beer and soda packaging – it’s designed to resist breaking apart when wet, which is why paper mills don’t want it
• No frozen food and refrigerated food boxes (for the same reason as the beer and soda packaging)
• No greasy food containers (such as pizza boxes – but if the top of the box isn’t greasy, tear it off and recycle it)
• No styrofoam, hot beverage cups, or foil packaging (like chip bags)
• No clothing and textiles – donate these instead
• No household hazardous waste items, which must go to the Eco-Depot instead
• No scrap metal

If you are wondering about specific items, check out RIRRC’s detailed A-to-Z list of materials, complete with proper recycling/disposal instructions.