Q&A: Recycling the right stuff

Your eco-questions answered:

Question: The LADWP provides Blue Bins in which recyclable discards may be placed. However, the bin (or at least my bin) does not include a list of acceptable items. For example, may wood scraps be placed in the blue bin?  And while most people intuitively know that white letter paper may be placed in the blue bin, what about colored paper?

Accordingly, I'd appreciate a link to DWP website which lists those items that may be placed in a DWP blue recycle bin. Much obliged. -- Len

Answer: Hello, fellow recycler! Your blue bins actually come from the L.A. Bureau of Sanitation, not the LADWP. In any case, here's the comprehensive list of recyclables you can put in your blue bin. And to answer your specific concerns, no, on the wood scraps, yes, on colored paper -- assuming it's clean.

And more to your point about your uninformative blue bin: You can actually download a Blue Bin Label (PDF) to put on your bin for easy reference. A door tag (PDF) with the same info's available too.

For those who don't yet have blue bins: Here's how to get them. Happy recycling!

Got a question? Ask me: greenlagirl@gmail.com.

Photo by ClydeHouse via Flickr; image courtesy of L.A. Bureau of Sanitation