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This page allows you to search for reuse, recycling and disposal options for multiple materials at the same time. If you only need to find options for a single material, use the What do I do with...? site.

Step 1: Is this material generated from your business or residence?

Business Residence

Step 2: Check the boxes next to the materials for which you want information.

Step 3: Once you have made your selections, scroll to the bottom of the page and click the Search button.

A B C D E F G L M P S T V

Animal Waste

Animal Manure/Excrement

Animal feces or manure.

Dead Animals

Dead pets, farm animals or wildlife.

Appliances

	Air Conditioners/Heat Pumps An air conditioner is a mechanical refrigeration device used to control temperature, humidity, cleanliness, and movement of air in a confined space. A heat pump is an outdoor air conditioning unit capable of either cooling or heating an indoor space.
	Other Large Appliances Refrigerators, freezers, stoves, hot water heaters, furnaces, washers, dryers and other major appliances sometimes referred to as "white goods."
	Refrigerators/Freezers Appliances used for cooling or freezing foods.
	Small Household Appliances Small household appliances include items such as microwave ovens, blenders, coffee pots and irons.

Asbestos

Asbestos-Containing Waste

Waste containing asbestos that is more than one percent of the waste’s total composition is considered to be an asbestos-containing waste. Materials that may contain asbestos include: heating appliances and heating systems; spray-on popcorn ceilings; acoustical ceiling tiles; vermiculite attic insulation; sheet vinyl flooring and associated felt backing; cement asbestos-board siding; plaster and stucco; knob-and-tube wire insulation; artificial fireplace logs and ashes

A B C D E F G L M P S T V

Batteries

	Alkaline Batteries Alkaline batteries (AA, AAA, C, D, 9 volt).
	Button Batteries Button batteries from watches and other electronic devices.
	Motor Vehicle Batteries Motor vehicle batteries, also known as lead acid batteries.
	Rechargeable Batteries Rechargeable batteries are nickel cadmium, nickel metal hydride and lithium ion. These batteries are typically found in cordless power tools, cellular and cordless phones, laptop computers, camcorders, digital cameras, and remote control toys.
	Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) Batteries An uninterruptible power supply (UPS), also known as an uninterruptible power source or a battery backup is a device that keeps computers running for a short period of time after a power failure. The device usually derives its power from lead-acid batteries.

Carpet

A thick, heavy covering for a floor, usually made of woven wool or synthetic fibers.

Carpet Padding

The padding material placed under carpet, often made of small pieces of foam rubber.

Cleaning Products

Cleaning products include items such as ammonia, bleach, drain opener, furniture polish, oven cleaner and toilet bowl cleaner.

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Construction/Demolition Debris

	Acoustic Ceiling Tile Panels made from a variety of materials designed to reduce noise. Most vendors will accept mineral fiber-based tiles that are free of contaminants but will not accept cast tile, fiberglass board, ceramic-based tiles or laminated tiles.
	Asphalt Asphalt pavement is made from aggregate and asphalt cement, a refined oil product.
	Asphalt Roofing Shingles composed of a felt mat saturated with asphalt, with small rock granules added.
	Brick A building material made of fired clay that is normally formed into blocks of uniform size.
	Concrete A common construction material often found in foundations and sidewalks. It is made from a mixture of aggregates (sand and gravel), cement and water.
	Drywall Internal wall material made of a sheet of gypsum covered on both sides with a paper facing and a paperboard backing. Drywall is also referred to as gypsum board, wallboard, plasterboard and rock.
	Fiberglass Fiberglass consists of flexible fragments of spun or woven glass and is often found in insulating materials. It can also be coated with resins and molded into items such as pools or spas.
	Plaster A mixture of cement or gypsum plaster with sand, perlite or vermiculite, and sometimes lime to form an interior wet wall system when applied to lath work or plasterboard.
	Porcelain A durable, non-absorbent ceramic that is fired at the highest kiln temperatures. It is often found as porcelain, toilets, sinks and ceramic tiles.
	Reusable Building Materials A variety of items including but not limited to cabinets, doors, fencing, floor coverings, hardware and fixtures, paint, plumbing and pipe, roofing, siding and windows.
	Vermiculite Attic Insulation A pebble-like, pour-in product that is light-brown or gold in color. Some vermiculite attic insulation may contain asbestos fibers. Left undisturbed, vermiculite does not pose a risk. Homeowners should not disturb vermiculite attic insulation and should limit trips to the attic if this type of insulation is present.
	Wood Clean wood includes wood that is untreated, unstained and unpainted such as: construction lumber, pallets, plywood, OSB, and branches. Treated, stained, or painted wood, including railroad ties, is not recyclable and should be disposed of properly according to the waste acceptance rules.

A B C D E F G L M P S T V

Drums/Barrels

Barrels and Drums

Rigid containers, such as burn barrels, larger than 25 gallons in volume and usually made of fiber, plastic or steel.

Electronic Equipment

	Audio/Video These items include electronic stereo equipment, VCRs, DVD players, and other forms of audio/visual equipment.
	Cameras/Supplies Cameras include equipment used for exposing film and recording digital images. Supplies include film, lenses, and other accessories.
	Cell Phones Wireless mobile telephones.
	Circuit Boards A printed circuit board (PCB) is a thin plate on which chips and other electronic components are placed. It is most commonly found inside a central processing unit.
	Computer Monitors Computer monitors include both flat-screen and cathode ray tube (CRT) models.
	Computer Printers/Peripherals Computer printers include a variety of models such as laserjet, deskjet, inkjet, color and black and white printers. Peripherals include mice, keyboards, cords, speakers and external drives.
	Computers and Laptops The central processing unit (CPU) of a computer and its associated internal drives.
	Copier/Fax Machines Copiers are photocopy machines that reproduce documents. Fax machines are devices that can send text and pictures digitally through a phone line and print the results.
	PDAs/Pagers Personal digital assistants (PDAs) are hand-held computers often used for organizing information. Pagers are small devices used for one-way wireless messaging.
	Tapes/Discs This includes items used to store electronic media such as CDs and CD cases, DVDs, audio cassettes, VHS tapes and computer disks and software.
	TVs Video monitors, including both flat-panel and cathode ray tube (CRT) model televisions.
	Video Game Consoles Includes all game systems and gaming accessories.

Fluorescent Lights

Fluorescent Light Ballasts

The electrical components at the ends of fluorescent and high-intensity discharge (HID) light fixtures that activate the lights. Until 1979, virtually all ballasts were made with capacitors that contained PCBs.

Fluorescent Light Bulbs

Fluorescent light bulbs that contain mercury or lead or that have other hazardous properties. This also includes DLP and LCD projector lamps.

Fluorescent Light Tubes

Fluorescent light tubes that contain mercury or lead or that have other hazardous properties.

Food

Edible food for donation

Includes: baked goods and commercially canned, boxed, and otherwise packaged foods not needing refrigeration; fresh produce and; food prepared in a donor kitchen, licensed food establishment or food processing company.

Fats, Oil and Grease

Fats, oil and grease.

Food Scraps

Food waste includes spoiled or otherwise inedible food scraps (such as table scraps). Food waste and soiled paper can be recycled with yard waste (in areas with this service) and collected at your curb, composted or taken by a disposal service provider for a fee.

A B C D E F G L M P S T V

Furniture

	Foam Padding Polyurethane foam from furniture, mattresses, carpet padding and other materials. Many vendors will not accept foam rubber or latex foam.
	Household Furniture Household furniture includes items such as couches, tables and chairs and bedframes.
	Mattresses Mattresses are large thick pads filled with resilient material and often coiled springs; used as a bed or part of a bed.
	Office Furniture Office furniture includes desks, chairs, tables, panels and other items commonly found in office environments.

Glass

Mixed Glass

Container glass not sorted into color or grade categories.

Separated Glass

Glass that has been sorted by color.

Window Glass

Sheet glass cut in shapes for windows or doors.

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Landscaping/Landclearing

	Brush/Woody Waste Woody prunings, branches, and debris from trees, shrubs or bushes.
	Clean Soil Uncontaminated soil, dirt or sod.
	Contaminated Soil Soil that is contaminated with materials such as petroleum products, heavy metals or sewage.
	Rock Any naturally formed aggregate or mass of inorganic materials.
	Yard Waste Christmas trees, leaves, grass, clippings, plant material, prunings, branches and other debris from a private residence.

Metal

	Aluminum Cans Beverage containers made from aluminum.
	Ferrous Metals Ferrous metals contain iron and steel. This might include: pipes, cast iron, motor blocks, appliances, bicycles, tin cans, rebar, I-beam, water heaters and lawn mowers. Note: Visit the Northwest Natural Yard Days to learn more about recycling lawn mowers.
	Nonferrous Metals Common non-ferrous metals are lead, aluminum, tin, copper, and zinc. This might include stainless steel, radiators, wire, window frames, electric motors, copper pipe and brass.
	Steel/Tin Cans Cans made of steel or tin typically used to contain food, beverages, aerosols or paint.

A B C D E F G L M P S T V

Misc Household Items

	Baby Supplies Baby supplies include items such as clothing, small toys, books, baby bedding/towels, crib mattresses and equipment such as cribs, bassinets, swings, high chairs, strollers, car seats and changing tables.
	Bicycles and Bicycle Parts Includes bicycles and bicycle parts (inner tubes, tires, seats, etc.) that are in working order and those that can be fixed with a reasonable amount of effort for re-sale or donation. Note: if your bike is beyond repair you should consider recycling it with a scrap metal recycler.
	Eyeglasses Lenses set into frames that help to correct the wearer's vision.
	General General items include kitchen and bath accessories, decorative items, various other housewares and smoke detectors.
	Smoke Detectors There are two main types of smoke detectors: ionization detectors and photoelectric detectors. Ionization detectors may contain a very small amount of low level radioactive material. For this reason, manufacturers are required to take back their brand of smoke detector from consumers for proper disposal. Note: As long as the smoke detector is used as directed and is not opened, it poses no radiation health risk.

Paint

Paint includes oil-based, latex and spray paint, as well as products such as varnish and lacquer.

Pallets

Wooden platforms on which materials are stacked for storage and shipping.

Paper

	Books A stack of printed pages bound together with a hard or soft cover. May include textbooks, popular books, reference books, children's books and others.
	Cardboard A fluted paperboard sandwiched between two flat pieces of paperboard; used mainly for shipping containers.
	Confidential Documents Confidential documents include paper on which confidential financial, medical or legal information is printed.
	Mixed Paper Various grades of paper, including junk mail, magazines, catalogs, soft cover books, phone books and cereal boxes.
	Newspaper The thin paper used mainly for daily newspapers.
	Office Paper A mixture of high-grade papers such as copier paper, computer printouts and stationery.
	Phone Books Bound pages typically printed on low-grade paper.
	Polycoated Cardboard Polycoated cardboard is typically found in the form of coated paperboard packaging such as milk and juice cartons.
	Pulltabs Small paper or paperboard gaming pieces used in a game of chance.
	Shredded Paper Various types of paper and confidential documents that have been shredded.

A B C D E F G L M P S T V

Pesticides

Pesticides include items such as lawn, garden or house plant insect killers; rat poison; slug bait; and ant- or roach-control chemicals.

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Plastic

	Agricultural Plastic Agricultural plastic includes empty plastic pesticide containers, plastic twine, irrigation pipe, bale wrap, mulch film and other plastic films.
	Bottles, Jugs and Tubs These include plastic jugs with a neck (milk, juice, and pop bottles), plastic bottles with a neck (beverage, fabric softener, detergent, and window, bathroom and kitchen cleaners), and round plastic dairy tubs (yogurt, dairy, and butter or margarine). This does not include “clam shells” or other food take-out plastic containers which are not currently being recycled.
	Mixed Plastics and Other Types of Plastics Many other types of plastic, such as vinyl banners, disposable Tyvek® clothing (shoe and boot covers, coveralls, hoods, lab coats, aprons, sleeves and pants), and large quantities of other plastics may be recyclable.
	Packing Peanuts and Polystyrene Packing materials include packing peanuts, polystyrene and expanded polystyrene (EPS) blocks. Packing peanuts are the small Styrofoam™ “peanuts” found in many packages shipped through the mail. Packing peanuts are not recyclable, but they are reusable. Many gift stores or shipping centers will accept clean packing peanuts free of charge to reuse in packaging or shipping. Polystyrene includes foam materials such as egg cartons and fruit packaging. EPS blocks are commonly used in the packing of electronics and may be recyclable.
	Plastic Film and Grocery Bags Plastic film includes dry cleaning bags, bread bags, newspaper bags, pallet wrap, and shrink wrap as well as plastic grocery bags. This does not include biodegradable or compostable bags.
	Plastic Nursery Pots Round or square pots made from a variety of different kinds of plastic and used for transporting plants and seedlings.
	Plastic Office Supplies Plastic office supplies include transparencies (such as overhead transparencies used in classrooms) and Tyvek® Envelopes (thin, water/rip resistant plastic envelopes).

Printer Cartridges

Inkjet Cartridges

A plastic cartridge filled with toner used for computer printers.

Ribbon Cartridges

A plastic cartridge that houses a ribbon containing ink which is used in various types of printers.

Toner Cartridges

Plastic cartridge filled with toner for use in a computer printer.

Propane Tanks

A metal cylinder used to store propane gas, typically for use with a barbeque grill.

A B C D E F G L M P S T V

Sharps

Medical Sharps

“Sharps waste” includes all hypodermic needles, syringes with needles attached, intravenous (IV) tubing with needles attached, scalpel blades and lancets that have been removed from the original sterile packaging.

Tanks

Heating Oil Tanks

Home heating oil tanks can be either underground or above ground and are used to store oil to heat the residence on the property.

Textiles

Clothing/Fabrics

Materials made from cotton, fiber, or textiles. This category includes clothing, rags, curtains and other fabrics.

Flags

Worn, damaged or torn U.S. Flags.

Shoes

Footwear.

Thermostats

Mercury-Containing Thermostats

Temperature-control devices that contain mercury.

A B C D E F G L M P S T V

Tires

Passenger/Truck/Motorcycle Tires

Passenger, truck and motorcycle tires are typically made from rubber and other reinforcing material.

Vehicles/Vehicle-related Items

	Mercury Switches Mercury tilt switches are used in hood and trunk lights to turn the lights on and off. They do not pose any danger to the driver but should be removed from the vehicle before the car is at the end-of-its life.
	Motor Oil Motor oil is made of refined oil used to lubricate car and truck engines.
	Oversized Items Boats, motor homes, campers, trailers and similar large objects.
	Vehicles and Major Vehicle Parts Cars, trucks, motorcycles and major vehicle parts such as engine blocks with vehicle identification numbers (VINs).

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Updated: Oct. 2, 2008

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The details.

What do I do with...?

Advanced Search

Step 1: Is this material generated from your business or residence?

Step 2: Check the boxes next to the materials for which you want information.

Step 3: Once you have made your selections, scroll to the bottom of the page and click the Search button.

Animal Manure/Excrement

Dead Animals

Air Conditioners/Heat Pumps

Other Large Appliances

Refrigerators/Freezers

Small Household Appliances

Asbestos-Containing Waste

Alkaline Batteries

Button Batteries

Motor Vehicle Batteries

Rechargeable Batteries

Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) Batteries

Carpet

Carpet Padding

Cleaning Products

Acoustic Ceiling Tile

Asphalt

Asphalt Roofing

Brick

Concrete

Drywall

Fiberglass

Plaster

Porcelain

Reusable Building Materials

Vermiculite Attic Insulation

Wood

Barrels and Drums

Audio/Video

Cameras/Supplies

Cell Phones

Circuit Boards

Computer Monitors

Computer Printers/Peripherals

Computers and Laptops

Copier/Fax Machines

PDAs/Pagers

Tapes/Discs

TVs

Video Game Consoles

Fluorescent Light Ballasts

Fluorescent Light Bulbs

Fluorescent Light Tubes

Edible food for donation

Fats, Oil and Grease

Food Scraps

Foam Padding

Household Furniture

Mattresses

Office Furniture

Mixed Glass

Separated Glass

Window Glass

Brush/Woody Waste

Clean Soil

Contaminated Soil

Rock

Yard Waste

Aluminum Cans

Ferrous Metals

Nonferrous Metals

Steel/Tin Cans

Baby Supplies

Bicycles and Bicycle Parts

Eyeglasses

General

Smoke Detectors

Paint

Pallets

Books

Cardboard

Confidential Documents

Mixed Paper

Newspaper

Office Paper