Bins and Purge: An Organizing Service

New Organizng & Assisting Service: The Actor's Assistant

2012-01-15T22:40:00.000-08:00

I'm very excited to announce the launch of my organizing and assisting service, The Actor's Assistant. Click on the link to visit my new website and learn more about the services I offer. I won't be updating this blog anymore. If you'd like to contact me, visit the contact page of the new website. Thank you for reading!

New article on EvolvedWorld! How to Organize Your Holiday Stuff!

2012-01-15T22:32:00.000-08:00

Check out my new article for EvolvedWorld:

Holiday Hoarding: How to Organize All that Extra Stuff!

My Organizing Articles for Evolved World

2011-08-26T11:09:00.000-07:00

I'm very excited about the opportunity to write about organizing for EvolvedWorld's Lifestyle section. Here are my first two articles:

Clean Out Your Closet!
Sample Quote: "We can get attached to the idea of an object and the commitment of keeping an item rather than assessing if we really need or want it."

You vs. The Paper Pile (& How to Win the War!)
Sample Quote: "Your desk is not a storage unit; it’s a workspace. When you’re not working at it, it should be clear of clutter."

Overwhelmed with mail? Sign up for the National Do Not Mail List

2011-06-16T12:44:00.000-07:00

I spend a lot of time helping clients sort through piles of junk mail: magazines, catalogs, coupons, flyers, brochures, postcards. It's endless. Junk mail can eat up the flat surfaces of your space (kitchen and dining room tables, desk, coffee and side tables) and drain your sense of peace and calm. Many people feel they need to hang on to junk mail as a reminder to get more information or complete a chore. "I really do need to get the windows cleaned. I'll hang on to this flyer about this window cleaning promotion." "Oh, 20% at Bed, Bath and Beyond. I'll hold on to this in case I need to go there." "I know Nick and Jessica broke up but I really need to catch up on their wedding. I'm hanging on this People magazine from 2002."

I would recommend if you receive an advertisement or coupon about a service that you're interested in, write down the important information on a To Do list and throw the flyer into your recycle bin! Having information related to chores and tasks on one To Do list prevents the build up of multiple pieces of papers. Also, you increase the likelihood of following through on completing a task when you have one place to easily refer back to for information.

For coupons, I have a folder in my filing cabinet labeled "Shopping, Gift Cards and Coupons." If I get a coupon or promotion in the mail that I'd like to use, I write it down on my To Do list (Buy new shower liner at Bed, Bath and Beyond, use 20% coupon, expires 7/6). I store current coupons in the folder and when I'm ready for a shopping trip, I go through that folder to collect any coupons and toss any coupons that might have expired.

Information, including coupons, promotions and discounts, has a way of coming back into our lives when we're ready for it. I promise you'll live to see another jeans promotion from the Gap or another dry cleaning coupon.

If you're overwhelmed by mail, you can sign up for the National Do Not Mail List. DirectMail.com offers this service and provides great information in its Frequently Asked Questions section of its site.

For some inspiration, check out the Do Not Mail Campaign to learn more about the toll junk mail has on our environment and energy resources. Here are two facts that Do Not Mail lists on its site:

Approximately 44% of junk mail goes to landfills unopened¹³
By the year 2010, almost 50% of the solid mass that makes up our landfills is expected to be paper and paperboard waste¹⁴
¹³41pounds.org: http://41pounds.org/impact/
¹⁴Native Forest Network, http://www.nativeforest.org/stop_junk_mail/nfn_junk_mail_guide.htm.

Yikes!

"Purge" Tip: CD and DVD Recycling

2011-05-20T11:16:00.000-07:00

I recently mailed a bunch of my old CDs, DVDs and cases to a company, Back Thru The Future Technology Disposal that recycles them for free! Well, you do have to pay for postage to mail. This batch above fit in a medium USPS flat rate box and cost about $10 in postage. If you're currently doing a little Spring Cleaning and feel inclined to toss old discs and cases in the garbage, here's some CD/DVD Recycling Facts you can find on Back Thru The Future's site that might just change your mind:

A CD/DVD is considered a Class 7 recyclable plastic
To manufacture a pound of plastic (30 CDs per pound), it requires 300 cubic feet of natural gas, 2 cups of crude oil and 24 gallons of water
It is estimated that AOL alone has distributed more than 2 billion CDs. That is the natural gas equivalent of heating 200,000 homes for 1 year.
It is estimated that it will take over 1 million years for a CD to completely decompose in a landfill.

"Bins" Tips: Is that a whole lotta rod in your small closet, or are you just happy to see me?

2011-03-15T22:59:00.000-07:00

The two clothes closets in my home are pretty narrow and have limited rod space. I called Handyman, Stephen Boykin to save the day! He raised the existing rod and shelf and added a lower rod. We used a coat and shirt to measure the distance between the two rods and make sure clothes on the lower rod won't hit the floor. We increased rod space without increasing the closets! If you'd like to hire Stephen for your projects, email him at steve@thehoney-dohandyman.com.

Organizing Inspiration: Before and After Pictures Tranformations!

2011-02-23T18:39:00.000-08:00

Before

After

The Bins and Purge blog has a new section: Before and After Pictures! Click on the "Before and After Pictures" tab above and check out my clients' progress! Pictures include home office, kitchen, electronic cord and memorabilia storage.

"Purge" Tip: Re-Book and Re-Do Your Bookshelves

2011-01-24T21:24:00.000-08:00

We love our books and no matter how crammed our shelves are, we find some sort of space to squeeze just one more book in. I recently trimmed down my book collection and donated about 40 books to Books For People. Books For People is a great charity that picks up books anywhere in Los Angeles County and sells them to raise money for the S.A.Y Yes! Center for Youth Development, a charity benefiting homeless children living around the Skid Row area of Downtown LA. The books they are unable to sell are donated to local libraries. Books for People also accepts CDs, DVDs, VHS tapes and LP records. Click here to schedule a free, super fast pick up. Support children, local libraries and your buckling bookshelves!

"Bins" Tip: 13 Pocket Accordion File from the Container Store

2010-11-30T15:47:00.000-08:00

I recently worked with a client who uses an accordion file with alphabetized tabs from the Container Store to organize receipts. Receipts are filed by store or business name (so Apple Store receipts go in "A" and Trader Joe's receipts go under "T"). Many organize receipts by type: Gas, Food, Home Office, Parking, etc. If you like alphabetize your receipts, here's a great tool! To purchase the receipt file or larger letter file, click on the link above. The customer reviews offer other ideas to use this product: organize coupons, greeting cards, and school work.

"Bins" and "Purge" Tips: When your mascara starts to "flake out" on you

2010-11-01T13:13:00.000-07:00

I recently did a little makeup makeover on my own and stumbled on this great article on About.com. You can click on the title to view the link or read below!

Once you purge old makeup, how can you organize it? I suggest a small three-drawer container that can you easily store under the sink or bathroom shelf. Here's one from the Container Store! Each drawer can be assigned to hold specific makeup and brushes for face, eye, and lip. You can add another container for nail, skin, and hair products.

What Is the Shelf Life of Makeup?

By Julyne Derrick, About.com Guide

Every woman we know has a pile of makeup in her drawer that she "sometimes" uses. Translation: Never uses, but keeps just in case she finally learns how to properly apply blue eyeshadow. Beauty products do have a shelf life, however, and chances are that blue eyeshadow with the glimmery bits that you bought a couple years ago (for Halloween?) has long expired. Here's a quick guide on the shelf lives of typical beauty products. We've listed them in alphabetical order. Oh, and just one quick little "PS": Please keep in mind that these are estimates, no matter what anyone tells you, it's unlikely you'll go blind from using 2-year-old mascara.

Concealer Up to 12 months.

Powder 2 years.

Cream and gel cleansers 1 year.

Pencil eye liner Should be sharpened regularly. Will last up to 3 years.

Eyeshadow Will also last up to 3 years. Extra tip: A dark eyeshadow can double as eyeliner, in fact, most makeup artists swear by eyeshadow used as eyeliner. You'll need a super-flat eyeliner brush for this (MAC, Sephora and Aveda have great brushes). Get the brush a little damp and dab in dark eyeshadow (black, brown or deep jewel-tones work great). Wiggle the brush into your lash line focusing on the space between your lashes, then sweep the color just above your lash line.

Brushes Wash every 2-3 months in a mild detergent.

Sponges Wash weekly and discard monthly.

Foundation Check the ingredients: A water-based foundation will last up to 12 months, oil-based will last up to 18 months. You may find you need two different shades of foundation each year: One for summer when your skin is naturally darker and one for winter when you're lighter. Extra tip: If your water-based foundation dries out before it's expiration date, simply add a few drops of alcohol-free toner and shake to mix it in. No need to do this to oil-based foundations. Because they contain oil, they will tend to separate. You have to shake anyway.

Lip liner Up to 3 years. Extra tip: Skip the push-up lipliners. They're expensive, tend to break and you never really know how much you have left until you run out. No need to spend money on lip liners, there's no secret to greatness for this product. Save your money for powders and foundation.

Lipstick Some experts say 1-2 years. Others say up to 4 years. What everyone agrees on is that if it smells rancid, throw it out, it's spoiled. Extra tip: If you store lipstick in the refrigerator, it will last longer. Bonus tip: Want your lipstick to last longer during the day? Shade in lips with lip liner before applying lipstick.

Mascara This product expires the fastest: Throw out after 4 months. Extra tip: If you don't want your mascara to expire faster than its fresh date, don't pump the wand in and out -- you're only exposing the product to drying air.

Nail Polish Up to 12 months, depending on the quality and how many times you take it on a plane (the cap always unscrews on me during flights, leaving my purse a -- fume-y -- mess!).

Organizing Inspiration: Quotes

2010-10-25T11:16:00.000-07:00

"Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up.

-A.A. Milne

"Don't agonize, organize."

-Florynce Kennedy

"Out of clutter, find Simplicity. From discord, find Harmony. In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity."

-Albert Einstein

"In reading the lives of great men, I found that the first victory they won was over themselves … self discipline with all of them came first."
-Harry S. Truman

"Make room for the new you. You may not have totally determined who the new you is going to be, but you probably have decided that there are some things about the current you, that you want to change. Well while you are working on what the new you will be, start 'cleaning out a room' for the new you to live in. Get rid of the junk in your life both physical and mental that doesn't fit you anymore. Take things out of your schedule that are taking your time away from finding out what you want to do. By making room for the new you, you will create a vacuum that the new you will rush in to fill and you will be on your way to the top."
-Edward W. Smith

"For every minute spent in organizing, an hour is earned"
-Unknown

"Organize your life around your dreams and watch them come true."
-Unknown

Peter Walsh wants you!

2010-09-27T15:06:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite recurring experts on Oprah, Peter Walsh is getting his own show on the OWN Network! The show is currently looking for people who are ready to declutter and need Peter's help. Here's the casting notice:

OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network is casting for the new program Enough Already! with Peter Walsh. The show is looking for people who are ready to conquer their clutter and disorganization and are ready to change their life. Participants on the show will work with organizational expert, Peter Walsh who will help them achieve their goals with home and life. OWN is looking for Los Angeles area homeowners to participate. To be considered for the show, send a detailed email about your situation or a loved one's situation and photos of the clutter. Casting will end soon, so please send an email right away to enoughalreadycasting@gmail.com.

You can also click here to apply on Peter's website.

"Bins" Tip: Post-it Durable Tabs

2010-09-20T11:06:00.000-07:00

I was so excited when I saw the commercial for Post-it's Durable Tabs! I've spent a lot of time battling with hanging folder labels and tabs: my writing doesn't fit the label, the label doesn't fit the tab or the tab doesn't fit into the hole. I love that you can write out a label and stick it to the folder and be done! Watch the commercial and try not to get the jingle stuck in your head!

Fave Organizing Tips: The Top 6 Excuses for Clutter from Real Simple

2010-08-11T11:09:00.000-07:00

Here's a great article I received in an email newsletter from Real Simple magazine about the top reasons why we hang on to clutter. Do any sound familiar to you?

The Top 6 Excuses for Clutter By Elizabeth Fenner

Why people can’t let go of stuff and how to outwit those hoarding instincts.

#1 - “If I get rid of this wedding vase, I’ll feel guilty.”

Solution: People feel a responsibility to be good stewards of things, says Randy Frost, a professor of psychology at Smith College, in Northampton, Massachusetts, and a coauthor of Buried in Treasures ($17, amazon.com). Especially items they’ve been given by or inherited from a loved one. Getting rid of a present feels like disrespecting the giver. But remember the true meaning of gifts.

“When you receive a present,” says Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan, an interior designer in New York City and the founder of ApartmentTherapy.com, “your duty is to receive it and thank the giver―not to keep the gift forever.” That goes for items you inherit. “Ask yourself, ‘How many things do I really need to honor this person’s memory?’” says Frost. Select a few objects with strong associations to your late grandmother, say, and keep them in places where you’ll see them. Let the rest go to people who want them more than you do. Likewise, don’t be shy about admitting a mistake you made and moving on. The $120 pair of heels you bought last spring that pinch? Cut yourself some slack and give them away.

#2- “I think this brooch/chair/ugly knickknack might be valuable again.”

Solution: When you hear the appraisers on Antiques Roadshow say that someone’s grandmother’s old Bakelite bracelets would now fetch $500, it’s easy to wonder whether your vintage piece might be worth a bundle. Stop guessing and find out what the item in question is truly worth. Take a 10-minute spin on eBay, searching for an item similar to yours. (Click on “Advanced Search,” then “Completed Listings Only.”) If the sale prices look promising―or if you can’t find equivalent items―consider having the item appraised by an expert. Many local auction houses will do this for free in the hopes that you will sell the item through them later. (Google “auctions” and your city to find an auction house near you.) For the greatest certainty, hire an independent appraiser through the American Society of Appraisers (appraisers.org) or the Appraisers Association of America (appraisersassoc.org). Be sure to ask for an estimate first.

Remember―for something to be considered valuable, it must be in tip-top shape. “People think their old baseball cards or National Geographics are worth money,” says professional organizer Caitlin Shear. “But that’s true only if they’re packaged in a Mylar sleeve and in pristine condition.”

#3- “But I might need seven sleeping bags one day.”

Solution: Everyone fears tossing something out only to realize―six months, a year, or five years down the road―that she shouldn’t have. Keeping things around “just in case” makes people feel safe. If your main problem is an overflowing closet, try the “packing for a trip” trick. It goes like this: You’re packing for a month’s vacation―you’ll need both dressy and casual clothes, for warm and cool weather, and you can fill two big suitcases. Then take all the other things and place them on a rack in your basement or attic. If you want to wear any of those exiled clothes in the coming days, grab them. But as the months go by, you’ll be shocked at how few of those clothes you need or even think about. From there, it’s a baby step to a Goodwill bag.

Still have separation anxiety? Box up the stuff you’re not quite able to part with and write on the outside, "Open in August 2011"―or whatever date it will be one year from now. Then tuck it away in your basement, attic, or storage facility. If a year from now you find that you didn’t miss the items, it will be much easier to part with them.

#4- “I want this chartreuse muumuu to go to a good home.”

Solution: People often want to find just the right place for their belongings. The problem is, trying to find just the right place can be paralyzing, says interior designer Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan. And while you wait, say, for your niece to move into a starter apartment, your old love seat and dinette set gather dust.

To satisfy your desire for perfect placement, look for a charity with which you feel a strong connection―perhaps a shelter for women. To identify a worthy one near you, visit charitynavigator.org, a nonprofit research group that evaluates charities based on how effectively they use donations. Go to the Advanced Search page, select “Human Services” charities, and type in your ZIP code. Contact the three- or four-star charities that interest you and ask if they accept donations. If that sounds like too much trouble, call your nearest house of worship and inquire whether it has a clothing drive coming up. Ask if the donation is tax-deductible, and get a receipt.

#5- “If I put the bills away, I’ll never pay them on time.”

Solution: Many clutterers have gotten into the habit of organizing their world visually and spatially, says Randy Frost. They’re afraid that if they put stuff away, they won’t remember it, because they won’t see it. “But it’s a perception of order,” he says, “not real order.” You may initially recall that the electric bill is next to the potted plant on the kitchen counter, but it will soon be buried by other items you need to have in plain sight, too, like invitations and permission slips.

Even hard-core clutterers can train themselves to complete tasks without obvious visual cues, says Frost. For starters, if you’re used to leaving things in piles, designate a logical home for every object. Set up automatic e-mail reminders to help you remember to pay bills. In addition, if you feel as if out of sight is out of mind, make transparency your friend. Take items destined for closets, the garage, or the basement and store them in clear plastic bins so you can always see what’s there.

#6- “I want to declutter, but I can’t get motivated.”

Solution: This may be due to a phenomenon known as delayed discounting, says Daniel Hommer, M.D., chief of brain imaging at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, in Bethesda, Maryland, and an expert on motivation. It works like this: If it takes a long time to reach a goal, you value that goal less than if you could reach it quickly―making it harder to get started. Make projects small and rewards immediate, says Hommer. After you organize a distinct area, dress it up―add decorative paper to the bottom of a now spartan toiletry drawer, for instance. Keep at it and your home will become not only more orderly but also more beautiful.

"Bins" Tip: Shoe Storage

2010-08-03T13:37:00.000-07:00

We've all had those mornings when we've crawled on the floor of our closet or looked under our beds to find a certain pair of shoes. If left in a pile, shoes can take up a lot of room and a lot of your time when getting dressed. I have small closets in my bedroom and office, so I utilize the large closet in my living room to store shoes, linens, luggage, and my favorite, holiday decorations! I found this over the door shoe rack at Bed Bath and Beyond that holds 36 pairs of shoes. It's very easy to assemble! The plastic shelves snap into the piece. There are "L" and "R" stickers to indicate the left and right sides. Each shelf level does need to be screwed into the closet door. Before purchasing, make sure you have a closet door made of material that's, well, screw-able. This rack is best for any shoe designs that don't go higher than the ankle. I have another expandable shoe rack that rests on the floor of the closet that stores boots and larger shoes. I also use a storage bin to hold flips flops. I rubber bands each pair of flips flops together so I can cut down on time searching for a complete pair.

Aside from organization, shoe racks can help you see and assess what shoes have seen better days and can keep your spending at bay. If you only have space to comfortably store and organize a certain amount of shoes, you're more likely to keep yourself from going on that shoe shopping spending spree.

To check out these shoe storage suggestions on the Bed, Bath and Beyond website, click below:


Recommended for heels and flats.

36 Pair Over-the-Door Shoe Rack

Recommended for boots. Hold approximately ten pairs depending on size.

Expandable Shoe Rack


Great for flip flops and children's shoes.

Canvas Totes

"Purge" Tip: Electronics Recycling

2010-07-27T17:17:00.000-07:00

Cords and old electronics can take up a lot of space. Here's a Before and After of a container of cords and old cell phones. Cords and phones that are no longer in use were separated to be brought to a recycling center. Remaining cords were organized by type and tied together with twist ties.

Best Buy has a great electronics recycling program. Here's Best Buy's FAQs from its website.

If you'd like to not have leaking mercury on your conscience, here's information from the U.S. Environmental Agency about mercury-containing products and recommended disposal.

What is Best Buy's Electronics Recycling Program?

This Program is an "In Store" solution for customers to bring their old/unwanted(no matter where they were purchased) consumer electronics for recycling.

Which Best Buy stores accept consumer electronics for recycling?

All U.S. stores, including Puerto Rico, offer the "In Store" solution for customers to bring their old/unwanted (no matter where they were purchased) consumer electronics for recycling.

Why does Best Buy offer electronics recycling to customers?

Consumer electronics are the fastest growing waste stream on the planet. As one of the world's largest retailer of electronics, we are in a unique position to help our customers. Best Buy is committed to making it easier for consumers to choose greener products, use energy for electronics and appliances more efficiently and provide appropriate end of life solutions for the products we sell.

Are there any restrictions to the program?

Best Buy accepts most consumer electronics, with a few exceptions. Please select your state from the drop-down menu on the main page to view program details for your area.

Does Best Buy charge a fee for recycling electronics?

Best Buy does not charge a fee for recycling most of the consumer electronic products. There is a charge of $10.00 for TVs 32" and under, CRTs and monitors in some areas which is offset by a $10.00 gift card. This charge does not apply to Best Buy private label products (i.e. Insignia®, Dynex®). Please select your state from the drop-down menu on the main page to view program details for your area.

Are there any limits to the amount of electronics customers can bring in?

Yes. Please select your state from the drop-down menu on the main page to view program details for your area.

What are Best Buy standards for recyclers?

Best Buy makes sure that the recyclers we work with adhere to the highest guidelines and standards so that the products customers bring into our stores for recycling don't end up in landfills or in foreign countries, and that all hazardous materials are disposed of properly. We partner directly with a short list of qualified, respected recycling companies who ensure all products collected for recycling through Best Buy are handled responsibly. These recycling companies meet our standards, and we encourage them to examine and consider additional third-party standards for responsible practices (such as the EPA R2, eStewards, etc.). Please refer to our Consumer Electronics Recycling Standardsfor more information and a list of our partners.

What happens to products that are taken to the store to be recycled?

The products are removed from our stores through third party logistics, consolidated and then delivered directly to one of our contracted recycling partners. The recyclers will then determine if the product can be repaired, repurposed or recycled. Using various technologies our recyclers dismantle the electronics, separating out various commodities (Plastics, Glass, Metals, etc) which are re-purposed into new products or delivered to a specialized recycler to be further processed and re-purposed. The extent to which all of the commodities of any electronics can be recycled will depend on the composition of the unit. To ensure all products collected for recycling through Best Buy are handled and processed responsibly, we partner directly with qualified and respected recycling companies. Please refer to our Consumer Electronics Recycling Standards for more information and a list of our partners.

What happens to customer data included on a recycled product?

Best Buy stores will not take possession of customers' personal data- this includes, camera and computer discs/CDs/DVDs, hard drives from laptops or desktop PCs, or any other device that could contain customer information. In the case of hard drives on laptops or desktop PCs, customers will be asked to remove the hard drive themselves, or they can pay a Geek Squad agent to remove the hard drive before handing the PC over to be recycled. For an explanation on how to Do-it-Yourself, see this video from Geek Squad®. Under no circumstances shall Best Buy be liable for any loss of any data or media from products delivered to us for recycling.

What can customers do with electronics that Best Buy doesn't accept?

Customers can go to these Web sites to find alternate locations to recycle these products

1-800-RECYCLING or www.1800recycling.com
My Green Electronics - Enter ZIP code to search: www.mygreenelectronics.org
ECycling Central - Click on state to search: www.eiae.org

What other recycling programs does Best Buy have?

Currently, Best Buy offers the following recycling programs besides the in-store recycling program.

Recycling Kiosks - Every U.S. Best Buy store has free kiosks, just inside the door, for you to drop off inkjet cartridges, rechargeable batteries, CDs/DVDs, and gift cards.
Appliance and TV Haul-Away - Best Buy will remove an appliance or TV free of charge from a customer's home when a new product is purchased and delivered by Best Buy Home Delivery.
Appliance and TV Pick-up - For $100, Best Buy will arrange a home visit to remove up to two appliances or TVs for recycling. More than two units, $20 per additional unit.
Trade-In @ Best Buy - Customers can visit www.bestbuy.com/tradein to trade in select gently used electronics for a Best Buy gift card.

Does Best Buy accept batteries for recycling?

Best Buy is proud to partner with the nonprofit Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation (RBRC) to accept rechargeable batteries for recycling. Customers are welcome to drop off their rechargeable batteries at any of Best Buy's U.S. stores. Last year alone, Best Buy stores collected over 70,000 pounds of batteries that were recycled through RBRC.

Best Buy does not currently accept alkaline batteries for disposal. Customers should call 1-800-RECYCLING or visit www.1800recycling.com to find an alkaline battery recycling center in their neighborhood.

"Purge" Tip: No, you can't recycle that ceramic ashtray your kid made in 5th grade

2010-07-07T11:14:00.000-07:00

When purging, cleaning, de-cluttering, organizing, or whatever you'd like to call "I'm finally going to get rid of crap," be aware of what's garbage and what's recycling. I admit that I had a lot of assumptions of what can be recycled. Los Angeles County's Department of Public Works has a section on its website about its Residential Recycling Program. Here's a quick reference "Is It Recyclable?" guide I found on the site. I'm sure LA County's recycling is similar to most other counties and states. The Earth is worth a few minutes of research before you start chucking!

Yes, It is Recyclable Paper	No, It is NOT Recyclable Paper
Newspaper	Plastic or wax coated paper and cartons
Paper board	Frozen food boxes
Cardboard, corrugated boxes	Microwave food boxes
Cardboard cereal & cracker boxes, etc.	Wax cereal/cracker box liners
6-pack cartons	Books
Brown grocery bags	Gummed or glued bindings
Magazines	Paper towels, napkins, tissue paper
Glossy paper	Paper plates, soiled paper
Junk mail	Adhesive backed or sticky notes
Stationery & envelopes	Carbon paper, thermal fax paper
Any high grade/uncoated paper	Aluminum foil boxes
Binder/notebook paper, any color	Fast food wrappers
Telephone books	Pet food bags
Yes, It is Recyclable Plastic, Glass, Aluminum	No, It is NOT Recyclable Plastic, Glass, Aluminum
Aluminum cans, foil, trays	Aerosol cans
Tin cans & bi-metal cans	Ovenware
Glass bottles, jars (empty & rinsed)	Ceramic pottery, cups, dishes
Any color glass bottles or jars	Windowpane glass or Mirror
All plastic food containers #1 & #2	Plastic wrap
Plastic bottles and containers, such as shampoo, detergent, bleach, milk, soda, water, and aspirin containers, etc.	All wax laminated cartons/containers, such as milk cartons, juice boxes & soy milk boxes
Microwave food trays	Plastic motor oil bottles
Frozen food boil-in-bag pouches