City of Laredo
Solid Waste Services

For those of you who think that misusing recycling blue bags is a good idea, think again. Willie Bote has informants all around town who report residents that are not following recycling instructions properly. Use your blue bags the right way so that your neighbors don’t report this naughty behavior to Willie Bote, our environmentally friendly mascot. Check this list twice before placing items into the bags. These items ARE accepted in the recycling blue bag:

-- Paper: Clean paper, including cereal boxes, magazines, catalogs, telephone directories, junk mail, calendars, stationery, non-metallic gift wrap, and flattened cardboard

-- Plastics: Plastic grocery and shopping bags and plastic bottles, jugs, and jars labeled #1 (PET) and #2 (HDPE), such as water and soda bottles, milk jugs, detergent bottles and jugs, plastic juice containers, condiment bottles and jars, and shampoo and lotion bottles – Remove caps from containers, and rinse out any food or liquid residue.

-- Aluminum and Metal Cans: Steel, tin, and aluminum food and beverage cans – There is no need to remove paper labels.

These materials are NOT accepted in the blue bag:

• No food waste!
• No glass!
• No yard waste!
• No Styrofoam!
• No frozen food boxes from microwave products!
• No pizza boxes nor other boxes with grease or food residue!
• No paper towels!
• No syringes or needles!
• No household hazardous wastes, such as chemicals and batteries!

Please follow these guidelines in setting out of the blue bags for recycling:

-- Place blue bags at the curb by 7 a.m. on your assigned collection day or, preferably, the night before.

-- Make sure no vehicle is blocking the blue bags.

Please help Willie Bote get the word out so that residents use the blue bags properly. Misusing bags can lead to a warning ticket, so please don’t misuse your bags. To make a recycling report or to ask questions, call our 3-1-1 Call Center or call 796-1098. You can also learn more at www.LaredoSolidWaste.com.

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