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

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