Tavares Recycling Guidelines: What You Can & Can't Recycle

Tavares officials are reminding residents of the city's recycling guidelines to ensure common household items are processed correctly. Following these rules helps maximize recycling efforts and minimize contamination.

Accepted recyclables include paper and cardboard such as newspapers, magazines, office paper, mail, envelopes and flattened cardboard boxes. The city accepts plastics marked with codes #1 PET, #2 HDPE, #3 PVC, #4 LDPE/LLDPE, #5 PP, #6 PS and #7 Other. This includes plastic bottles and containers like water, soda, milk jugs, detergent and household containers.

Glass bottles and jars, along with metal items like aluminum and steel cans, are also accepted. For plastics, codes indicate material type and common uses. For example, #1 PET is typically used for soft drink and water bottles, while #2 HDPE is found in milk, water and juice bottles. #5 PP is common for ketchup and syrup bottles, and #6 PS is used for bottles.

To ensure successful recycling, all items must be empty, clean and dry before being placed in recycling bins. Plastic bags, food and liquids are not accepted.

Adhering to these guidelines helps maintain an efficient recycling program. Contaminated recyclables can cause entire batches to be sent to landfills.