(EDITOR'S NOTE: Confused about what you can and can’t recycle, not to mention the “where” and “how”? Let Covington’s Solid Waste & Recycling team break it down for you.)

COVINGTON, Ky. – Knowing which containers can be recycled is one thing, knowing what to do with the lids is a whole ’nother challenge.

But it IS important: Lids handled incorrectly will contaminate the recovery process.

Here’s a cheat sheet to make it easy:

• Plastic lids on plastic bottles and jugs (a la 2-liter soft drinks, milk jugs, mustard squeeze bottles): Leave lid attached.
• Plastic lids on tubs (butter, yogurt, sour cream): Leave lid attached.
• Plastic lids on plastic fast-food cups (including both clear “dome” lids and translucent lids with “buttons”): Leave lid attached.
• Plastic lids on paper hot/cold drinking cups (a la the cups with a “waxy” coating): Remove lid and throw away, but recycle the cup. (Of course, the best thing to do, at least with coffee, is to bring a reusable mug.)  
• Plastic lids on cartons (broth, almond milk, orange juice): Remove lid and throw it away (or take to somewhere like Cincinnati Reuse and Recycling Hub).
• Metal lids on glass containers: Remove but toss into the recycling bin. (The metal lid will be magnetized away from the rest of the recycling before it can cause a problem.)

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