Examples of how to clean recyclables: 3 practical examples you’ll actually use

Let’s start where the mess actually happens: your sink, your counter, your trash can. These first three examples of how to clean recyclables are the ones people struggle with most: sticky jars, greasy containers, and food‑splattered packaging.

Practical example #1: The peanut butter (or Nutella) jar

This is the classic “Do I really have to clean this?” item.

Here’s a realistic example of how to clean this recyclable without wasting water:

Start by using a spatula or butter knife to scrape out as much peanut butter as you reasonably can. You don’t need it spotless—just remove the thick layer. Next, while you’re already washing dishes, fill the jar about one‑quarter full with warm, not hot water (to avoid warping plastic). Add a drop of dish soap, put the lid back on, and shake it like you’re making salad dressing. Pour out the cloudy water, and if most of the residue is gone, you’re done. Let it air‑dry and toss it in the recycling bin with the lid off, unless your local program says otherwise.

If it’s still heavily coated, repeat the shake‑and‑rinse once. Past that, you’re entering “too much effort” territory. Recycling experts generally say containers should be “empty and mostly clean”, not perfectly spotless. Many U.S. programs use this language; for reference, see guidance like "Empty and Rinse" from city and state recycling pages.

Practical example #2: Greasy takeout containers and pizza boxes

Here’s where a lot of contamination happens. One of the best examples of how to clean recyclables: 3 practical examples usually starts with pizza, because everyone orders it and everyone wonders about the box.

For a pizza box:

Open the box and look at it like two separate items. The clean top lid? That’s usually recyclable cardboard. The greasy bottom soaked with cheese, oil, or stuck‑on toppings? That’s often not recyclable in many curbside systems because oil interferes with paper fibers being turned into new paper.

Tear off the clean lid and any unstained side panels and recycle those. The greasy, cheesy parts go in the trash or, if you have access, a commercial compost program that accepts food‑soiled paper. A quick scrape with a napkin to remove loose toppings is fine, but if the cardboard is dark with oil, don’t try to save it.

For plastic takeout containers:

Scrape leftover food into your trash or compost. Then give the container a fast rinse with leftover dishwater or while you’re already washing dishes. You don’t need to remove every stain—just visible chunks and pools of sauce or oil. If you can hold it over the sink and it doesn’t drip grease or food, you’re in good shape.

This is one of the best examples of how to clean recyclables that balances cleanliness and water use: scrape, quick rinse, air‑dry, recycle.

Practical example #3: Soda cans, soup cans, and metal lids

Metal is one of the most valuable materials in the recycling stream, and it’s also one of the easiest to clean.

Here’s an example of how to handle it:

When you finish a soda, beer, or sparkling water, pour out any remaining liquid. A quick swish with a little water is enough; you don’t need soap. For soup cans or canned tomatoes, use a spoon or spatula to scrape out the last bits into your cooking pot or trash. Then run a small amount of water into the can, swirl, and pour it out. If it’s not obviously coated in food, it’s ready to recycle.

Metal lids from jars can usually be recycled too, but check your local rules. Many programs recommend placing small metal lids inside a larger metal can and crimping it closed, so they don’t fall through sorting equipment.

These three headline examples of how to clean recyclables—sticky jars, greasy containers, and metal cans—cover a huge chunk of what passes through the average kitchen. Now let’s go beyond the sink and into other parts of the home.

More real examples of how to clean recyclables beyond the kitchen

The phrase “examples of how to clean recyclables: 3 practical examples” is a nice starting point, but in real life you deal with way more than three items. Let’s add several more real examples that come up every week.

Everyday bathroom recyclables: shampoo bottles and toothpaste tubes

Bathroom items are often forgotten, but they’re some of the easiest to manage.

For shampoo, conditioner, and body wash bottles, use them all the way to the end if you can. When they’re “empty,” add a small amount of warm water, close the cap, shake, and use that watered‑down mix as your last wash. Now the bottle is both cleaner and used up.

After that, pop the cap back off (many programs want caps on; others want them off—check your local website) and give the bottle a quick rinse to remove visible residue. Let it drain upside down, then recycle. The same logic works for laundry detergent bottles.

Toothpaste tubes are trickier. Traditional multi‑layer tubes are often not accepted in curbside programs, even if they say “recyclable” on the package. Some brands have switched to single‑material tubes that certain programs accept, but you need to verify with your local recycler or the brand’s website. If they are accepted, roll the tube from the bottom to squeeze out as much as possible, then run a little water through and squeeze again. If they’re not accepted, tossing them in the recycling bin as “wish‑cycling” can cause problems for the system.

Glass jars and bottles: pasta sauce, salsa, and jam

Glass is endlessly recyclable, but food inside it is not.

A simple example of how to clean glass recyclables without fuss:

When you finish a jar of pasta sauce or salsa, scrape out the remaining sauce with a spatula into your pan or compost. Then, while the jar is still fresh (dried sauce is harder to remove), fill it a quarter of the way with warm water, add a drop of dish soap if needed, and shake. For stubborn bits, let it soak while you do something else, then shake again and pour out. A faint stain is fine; chunks and thick residue are not.

Remove metal lids and rinse them too. Many programs want lids recycled separately from glass; some prefer you screw them back on. Check your local guidance.

Paper and cardboard: cereal boxes, mail, and paper cups

Paper doesn’t get “washed” the way containers do, but it does need to be clean enough to be turned back into pulp.

For cereal boxes and similar packaging, remove the plastic liner bag, flatten the box, and make sure there’s no food stuck to it. A light dusting of crumbs is okay. If the box is visibly greasy or wet with food, tear off the clean parts and recycle only those.

Junk mail and office paper just need to be dry and free of food. You don’t have to peel off every tiny plastic window, though some programs prefer it.

Paper coffee cups are a gray area. Many curbside programs in the U.S. do not accept them because of the plastic lining, even if they look like pure paper. Some cities and college campuses have special programs for them. If your program does accept them, empty out leftover liquid, remove the plastic lid and sleeve, and make sure there’s no heavy food contamination.

For up‑to‑date paper recycling guidance, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a helpful overview of common recyclables and how to handle them: https://www.epa.gov/recycle/how-do-i-recycle-common-recyclables

Plastic film and bags: when “clean and dry” really matters

Plastic bags and film—grocery bags, bread bags, bubble wrap—usually do not go in curbside bins, but some stores and drop‑off sites accept them.

When they are accepted, the rule is almost always “clean and dry.” That means no crumbs, no streaks of peanut butter, no condensation. Shake out crumbs, wipe out any visible residue with a paper towel you were already using, and let the bag dry if it’s damp. If it once held raw meat or is heavily soiled, throw it away.

In 2024–2025, many retailers in the U.S. have scaled back plastic bag collection, so it’s worth checking a current directory such as your state or city’s recycling website before saving piles of bags.

How clean is “clean enough” for recyclables in 2024–2025?

At this point, you’ve seen several examples of how to clean recyclables: 3 practical examples from the kitchen plus more from the bathroom and mail pile. The big question people still have is: when can you stop cleaning and call it “good enough”?

Recycling facilities don’t expect perfection. They do, however, need materials that aren’t coated in food or dripping with liquids. Contamination makes it harder to sort and can cause entire batches to be downgraded or trashed.

Many U.S. programs now use the phrase "empty and rinse" or "empty, clean, and dry" in their guidelines. A few simple rules of thumb:

• If you can shake it and food or liquid visibly splatters out, it’s not clean enough.
• If you can see thick layers of sauce, oil, or food, it needs at least a scrape and quick rinse.
• If it looks like something you’d be okay leaving on your counter for a few hours without smelling up the place, it’s probably fine to recycle.

The EPA notes that contamination is a major challenge for recycling systems and encourages residents to follow local directions carefully: https://www.epa.gov/recycle

Balancing water use with cleaner recycling

In 2024–2025, there’s growing awareness that we shouldn’t waste water just to clean recyclables. The trick is to work smarter, not harder.

Here are real examples of how to clean recyclables without running the tap nonstop:

Use leftover dishwater. When you’re washing dishes in a basin or sink of soapy water, dip containers in that water for a quick swish rather than using fresh water.

Time your rinses. Rinse containers immediately after emptying them, before food has time to dry and harden. A two‑second rinse now often beats a 30‑second scrub later.

Prioritize the worst offenders. Focus on items that can truly mess up a batch of recycling—thick sauces, oils, dairy, and sticky liquids. A faint stain on a plastic container is less of a problem than a half‑full tub of yogurt.

Remember: the goal is mostly clean, not food‑grade sterile. Most recycling facilities expect some light residue.

For broader water conservation tips, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) offers practical guidance: https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/science/water-use-home

Why cleaner recyclables matter (and how your habits fit into 2024–2025 trends)

In the last few years, recycling markets have tightened. Many countries now demand higher‑quality, less contaminated materials. That means what you do at your sink genuinely affects whether your recyclables get turned into new products or end up in a landfill.

Some 2024–2025 trends worth knowing:

• More U.S. cities are cracking down on contamination, sometimes leaving bins uncollected if they’re full of trash or dirty items.
• Many programs are simplifying what they accept to reduce confusion—often focusing on bottles, cans, cardboard, and paper.
• There’s growing pushback against “wish‑cycling"—tossing questionable items in the bin and hoping for the best. Those items can jam equipment or contaminate good material.

Your job in this bigger picture is simple: follow local rules, use these real examples of how to clean recyclables as a guide, and keep things “empty, mostly clean, and dry.” That combination gives your bottles, cans, and boxes the best shot at a second life.

Quick FAQ: real‑world questions about cleaning recyclables

Do I need to use hot water and soap on every container?
No. Save soap for very greasy or sticky items, like peanut butter jars. For most bottles and cans, a quick rinse with leftover dishwater or cool tap water is enough. The goal is to remove chunks and heavy residue, not to sanitize.

Can I put recyclables in the bin if they’re still wet from rinsing?
Slightly damp containers are usually fine, but paper and cardboard should be dry. Wet paper can break down and stick to other materials. If you can, let rinsed containers drain for a few minutes before tossing them into the bin.

What are good examples of items I should throw away instead of trying to clean?
Heavily soiled pizza boxes soaked with oil, containers with solidified fat or grease that you can’t easily scrape out, plastic that held raw meat juices, and paper towels or napkins covered in food are all better off in the trash (or compost, if accepted). For these, the water and effort required to “rescue” them usually isn’t worth it.

Is it okay to leave labels on bottles and cans?
Yes. Modern recycling facilities are designed to handle labels and small bits of glue. Don’t waste time peeling labels unless your local program specifically asks you to.

Where can I find more local guidance and examples of how to clean recyclables correctly?
Your city or county recycling website is your best source, since rules vary by location. For general background and national‑level advice, the EPA’s recycling page is a solid starting point: https://www.epa.gov/recycle. Many local sites now include photos and example of acceptable materials to make things clearer.

If you remember nothing else, remember this: use these examples of how to clean recyclables—3 practical examples from your kitchen, plus the extra ones from your bathroom and mailbox—as a flexible template. Scrape, quick rinse, drain, and recycle. When in doubt, check your local rules, skip wish‑cycling, and focus on keeping the good stuff clean enough to be used again.