How To: 11 Surprising Things You Should Never Throw into the Recycle Bin

While it is common sense to toss empty water bottles into the recycle bin, most people do not know that it is also important to remove the plastic bottle cap before recycling. Plastic bottle caps and plastic bottles are made up of different plastics, and the plastic found in bottle caps are not as useful for recycling centers as the plastic found in bottles.

Many paper products are also surprisingly not considered recyclable, as brightly colored paper release dye that contaminate the entire paper recycling process, and shredded paper has paper fiber that is considered too short for recycling.

Read below for other common items that you should never throw into your recycle bin. Don't forget to also check in with the rules and standards of your local recycling center.

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