What types of plastics are accepted in the single stream program?
Baltimore’s curbside and drop-off programs accept narrow-neck and screw top plastic bottles labeled with numbers 1 through 7 ONLY. 1’s and 2’s include many soda and water bottles, milk and juice jugs, and household cleaner bottles. 3’s – 7’s include items like oil, jelly and ketchup bottles. In an attempt to be more environmentally friendly, many plastic bottles that used to be made of the 3 – 7 are now being made of the 1 and 2 plastics. Plastics like margarine tubs, yogurt containers, plates, flatware or food containers that are not narrow neck and or screw top bottles or jars, are not acceptable in the program. The types of commodities that we can accept in our recycling program are based on what the industry is demanding and what recycling processors will accept. At this time, it is not economical for recycling processors and there is not as much demand for food packaging grades of plastics as there is for the grades of plastics that are used to make the narrow neck and screw top b
