Home Waste Inventory
Organics Collection Project
Walk through your home, examine the materials generated in each room, and place a check box next
to each item you discard each week.
After completing your walk through, review the lists of checked items and create recommendations for
each room. Consider the types and sizes of bin needed for the materials generated in each room. Be
flexible and creative - in some cases, your recycling bin may need to be the largest, while in others a
compost or organics bin may be the largest).
Check out the Ramsey County A-Z Guide at www.ramseyatoz.com or 651-633-EASY (3279) for recycling
items not on this list. If you want to do a full waste audit (examining everything your family discards in
a single week), we have instructions to help you in this packet!
Kitchen
Material
Recycling or disposal option
Food scraps (fruit and vegetable peelings,
pits, rinds, seeds)
Leftovers
Meat, seafood, bones
Dairy products (cheese, yogurt, butter)
Cooking oils
Organics or backyard compost
Napkins, paper towels, paper towel tubes
Egg cartons
Paper plates, paper cups
Boxboard (cereal, crackers, snack, pasta
boxes - cellophane window is okay)
Extremely greasy pizza boxes
Minimally greasy pizza boxes
Corks (natural, not plastic)
Corks (plastic)
Wax or parchment paper (pastry bags,
butter wrappers, etc.)
Refrigerated or frozen food boxes (butter,
frozen pizza, microwaveable dinner boxes)
Paper takeout containers
Plastic bottles with a #1 or #2
Plastic containers with a #5 (yogurt, cottage
Organics or backyard compost
Organics
Organics
Organics (mix with dry materials
like paper towels, dryer lint, etc. to
absorb)
Organics or backyard compost
Organics or backyard compost
Organics
Recycling (papers & cardboards)
Organics
Recycling (papers & cardboards)
Organics or recycle at Whole Foods
Trash
Organics
Organics
Organics
Recycling (bottles & cans)
Recycle at Whole Foods (#5 plastics
Check here if
you generate
this material
cheese, margarine tubs)
Plastic containers with a #1, #2, #3, #4 of
#7 (berry cartons, salad clamshells, etc.)
Plastic screw caps (milk, juice, etc.)
Plastic bags (ziplock bags with zipper cut off
and cereal, bread, cracker, grocery,
produce bags)
Rigid plastic packaging without a number
(i.e. from toys, other household products)
Milk, juice, soup & broth cartons
Foil and foil pans (clean)
Metal cans, metal lids
Glass bottles and jars
Newspaper, magazines, junk mail,
envelopes (plastic windows are okay)
Phone books
Pop or beer boxes
Batteries
Fluorescent light bulbs (compact and
tubular)
bin) or trash
Recycle at Whole Foods (all other
plastics bin) or trash
Recycle at any Aveda salon
Recycle at grocery stores
(Kowalski’s, Whole Foods, Cub,
Rainbow, Target, etc.)
Trash
Recycling (bottles & cans)
Recycling (bottles & cans)
Recycling (bottles & cans)
Recycling (bottles & cans)
Recycling (bottles & cans)
Recycling (papers & cardboards)
Recycling (papers & cardboards)
Bring any rechargeable, button or
automotive battery to Household
Hazardous Waste facility (5 Empire
Drive). Single use alkaline batteries
go in trash.
Do not discard – bring to Home
Depot or Household Hazardous
Waste facility (5 Empire Drive)
Kitchen Recommendations:
Office/ Living Room
Material
Recycling or disposal option
Paper (white, color)
Newspaper, magazines, junk mail,
envelopes (plastic windows are okay)
Spiral bound notebooks (remove plastic
cover, spiral is okay)
Cardboard (flattened and folded/cut to 3’ x
3’ or less)
Tissues
Backings from stickers, labels
Ink jet printer cartridges
Recycling (papers & cardboards)
Recycling (papers & cardboards)
Recycling (papers & cardboards)
Recycling (papers & cardboards)
Organics or backyard compost
Organics
Recycle at office supply stores (e.g.
Check here if
you generate
this material
Gift wrap, tissue paper (remove metal or
plastic pieces)
Dust/pet hair
Contents of vacuum or vacuum bag
(remove any plastic pieces)
Paperback or hardcover books
Fluorescent light bulbs (compact and
tubular)
Children’s books that light up or play music
Batteries
Officemax, Office Depot,
Organics
Organics or backyard compost
Organics or backyard compost
Donate, resell, or recycle (papers &
cardboards)
Do not discard – bring to Home
Depot or Household Hazardous
Waste facility (5 Empire Drive)
Donate or if not usable, bring to
Household Hazardous Waste
facility (5 Empire Drive)
Bring any rechargeable, button or
automotive battery to Household
Hazardous Waste facility (5 Empire
Drive). Single use alkaline batteries
go in trash.
Office/ Living Room Recommendations:
Bedroom(s)
Material
Recycling or disposal option
Tissues
Tissue boxes
Paper tags from new clothing
Dust/pet hair
Old, torn, or ripped clothing, shoes, linens
(sheets, curtains, etc.)
Old toys, books
Organics or backyard compost
Recycling (papers & cardboards)
Recycling (papers & cardboards)
Organics or backyard compost
Recycling (place in a plastic bag
with a “clothing & linens” label)
Resell or donate to your favorite
charity, friends or family
Do not discard – bring to Home
Depot or Household Hazardous
Waste facility (5 Empire Drive)
Fluorescent light bulbs (compact and
tubular)
Bedroom Recommendations:
Check here if
you generate
this material
Bathroom(s)
Material
Recycling or disposal option
Tissues, toilet paper, toilet paper tubes
Q-tips (with paper sticks), cotton balls
Boxes from toothpaste and other toiletries
Diapers, diaper wipes
Shampoo, lotion, pill bottles with a #1 or #2
Caps from bottles
Pill bottles with a #5
Organics or backyard compost
Organics
Recycling (papers & cardboards)
Trash
Recycling (bottles & cans)
Recycle at any Aveda salon
Recycle at Whole Foods (#5 plastics
bin)
Trash
Cosmetic products (makeup, lotions,
shaving cream, etc.)
Unused or expired medications
Old, torn, or ripped linens (towels, shower
curtains, etc.)
Hair, nail clippings
Fluorescent light bulbs (compact and
tubular)
Check here if
you generate
this material
Do not discard - bring to Law
Enforcement Center (425 Grove St)
Recycling (in a plastic bag with a
“clothing & linens” label)
Organics or backyard compost
Do not discard – bring to Home
Depot or Household Hazardous
Waste facility (5 Empire Drive)
Bathroom Recommendations:
Basement / Laundry Room
Material
Dryer lint
Detergent bottles
Detergent boxes
Caps from bottles
Dryer sheets
Fluorescent light bulbs (compact and
tubular)
Recycling or disposal option
Organics or backyard compost
Recycling (bottles & cans)
Recycling (papers & cardboards)
Recycle at any Aveda salon
Trash
Do not discard – bring to Home
Depot or Household Hazardous
Waste facility (5 Empire Drive)
Cat litter
Trash
Basement/ Laundry Room Recommendations:
Check here if
you generate
this material