Next to plastics, the most confusing material to sort is paper. Like plastics there are many different types of paper and some are more recyclable than others. The equivalent of 30 million trees gets thrown out every year in this country. Although the amount of recycled paper is growing, paper cannot be continuously recycled. Each pass through the recycling process further breaks and shortens the paper fibers, causing the paper to be downgraded to lower grade forms.

Newspaper -- Bag it in paper or bundle it and set it on the curb on your recycling pickup day. Do not include the Sunday supplement, glossy advertising or other non-newsprint (it goes with mixed paper). Newsprint soiled with food or paint should not be included either.

Cardboard -- This is the corrugated type, a wavy middle layer between two flat layers. Boxes should be flattened. Dirty cardboard, pizza boxes or those with food residue cannot be recycled and should be put in the regular trash.

Mixed Paper -- Magazines and catalogs (the staples are okay), the glossy section of the newspaper, paperboard boxes (like cereal, pasta, cracker boxes) with the inner liner removed, ads, flyers, old coupons, sweepstakes you resisted entering, used envelopes with or without windows, non-metallic wrapping paper, office and computer paper, junk mail of all types; just about anything that ever met a tree falls into the mixed paper category. Waxed or plastic coated paper, and food soiled paper CANNOT be included, so leave out milk cartons, drink boxes, fast food cups or ketchup-laden hamburger wrappers.

Phone Books -- May be collected in your community.