Understanding Oregon’s Recycling Guidelines: February Q&A 

We’re continuing our monthly Q&A series to answer your most common questions about Oregon’s modernized recycling system and the launch of RecycleOn Oregon. Each post is shaped by what you ask us, so keep the questions coming! 

Have a recycling question? Submit it at RecycleOn.org/contact-us and follow RecycleOn Oregon on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok for more tips and updates. 

Metals & Metal-Containing Items 

Q: Does “scrap metal” include metal bottle caps and lids from food cans?  

A: Yes—but small metal items shouldn’t go loose in your bin. Place bottle caps and lids inside a metal can (like a soup can), crimp it shut and recycle the whole thing together. Small metal items, like bottle caps and lids, can fall through recycling equipment if put directly into the bin.  

Q: Can I recycle foil and aluminum pie pans in curbside recycling?  

A: Aluminum foil, pie pans and other pressed foil products are accepted at drop-off RecycleOn Centers. If your community doesn’t have a RecycleOn Center yet, you’ll need to put your foil products in the garbage for now.  

We’re currently working with recycling programs in the Portland Metro Area to test whether foil gets properly sorted and recycled when collected in curbside recycling bins. If you live in the Portland Metro area, foil is currently allowed in curbside recycling—just ball it up to at least the size of a baseball. Outside the Metro area, foil should go in the trash unless you have access to a RecycleOn Center. 

Q: Can I recycle metal medical equipment or the base of a blender?  

A: No. Metal items that tangle – think cords and wires – and large or complex metal items, including medical equipment and appliance bases, are not accepted curbside because they can damage recycling equipment. Smaller scrap metal (under 10 pounds and 18 inches) may go in the bin. Check with your local recycling program for larger items. 

Plastics – Size, Shape & Preparation 

Q: Are #2 plastic items accepted in Portland? Are other-coded numbers excluded? 

A: In Oregon, we recycle plastics based on size and shape, not resin numbers. Empty and dry plastic bottles, buckets, jugs, tubs and rigid nursery pots are accepted if they are at least 2 inches by 2 inches and fit loosely in the recycling bin.  

Q: Can plastic bottle caps be left on when recycling? 

A: Yes. Plastic screw-on caps can stay on plastic bottles and jugs. 

Plastic Film & Stretchy Plastics 

Q: Can colored and clear plastic bags be recycled? Can padded Amazon shipping envelopes be recycled at RecycleOn Centers? Where can I recycle thick plastic sheeting from a mattress?  

A: Not curbside. Plastic film and stretchy plastic—like grocery bags, plastic wrap around paper towels and toilet paper, some cereal bags, shipping envelopes and mattress sheeting—can be recycled at RecycleOn Centers or grocery store drop-offs. If the plastic stretches when you press your thumb into it, it’s accepted.  

Plastic film is a “tangler,” meaning it wraps around equipment, jams machines, which puts workers at risk and can prevent good recyclables from being properly recycled. 

Plastic Clamshell Containers 

Q: Why aren’t clamshells recyclable in Oregon? 

A: Plastic clamshells, like berry and cookie containers, are not recyclable in Oregon due to how they are manufactured (thermoforming). All recyclables collected in Oregon must go to “Responsible End Markets” where the materials are recycled properly.  

We are working hard to find Responsible End Markets for Oregon’s clamshells and ensure they will work in our recycling system.  

Until that changes, clamshell containers should go in the trash.

 Cartons, Cups & Food Service Packaging 

Q: Are milk, half-and-half and juice cartons recyclable? Can their caps stay on?  

A: Yes. Milk, juice, chicken broth and other aseptic cartons are recyclable when empty and dry, but caps must be removed. Cartons are most often recycled at paper mills where they split apart the different layers and recycle the paper fibers. Since the caps aren’t paper, the mill can’t use them and sends them for disposal. 

The caps are accepted for recycling along with flat plastic lids (think yogurt or sour cream) at RecycleOn Centers.  

Paper, Books & Specialty Paper 

Q: Can I recycle hardcover and paperback textbooks?  

A: Paperback books are recyclable as is. Just toss them in the recycling bin and they will find a new life as other types of paper. Hardcover books need their covers removed before being recycled. Remember, while recycling is great, donating or sharing books is always the best option when possible. 

Q: Can parchment paper be recycled? 

A: No. Parchment paper has “paper” in its name but isn’t recyclable. All the things that make it great in the kitchen, like its non-stick and heat-resistant coating, also stop it from being recyclable.  

Beverage Multipack Accessories (PakTech) 

Q: Can PakTech handles (can carriers) be recycled through this program? 

A: Not curbside. Flat plastic handles can be mistaken for paper by sorting machines and sent to a paper mill. They are, however, accepted at RecycleOn Centers. Even cooler, PakTech, the Oregon company that manufactures these handles, uses recycled plastic to make them.