So I finally got off my butt and wrote to my city councilor, to ask some detailed questions about what can and can’t be recycled. I’m really happy to report that Chris from Ottawa’s Waste Services division got back to me right away.

I’m happy to report that window envelopes can, indeed, go into your black box as-is. Apparently the window part is made from cellulose, which can be recycled.

I’m also happy to report that cans of frozen juice concentrate can go in your blue box, so that the metal ends can be recycled.

Boxes with tape, staples, or small plastic bits attached (like Kleenex boxes) can go into the black box as-is. It would be a big help to the recycling plants if you removed these items beforehand, as they are not recyclable, but the company expects a certain level of “contamination” and is set up to deal with the removal of these things. That means, your boxes with tape on them won’t just be diverted to the landfill; they will be cleaned and then recycled. But if you have the time, you can clean them first to help out.

Similarly, the caps from plastic bottles — pop bottles, juice bottles, water bottles — are not recyclable and should be removed and discarded before the bottle goes into the blue box. However, again, the recycling companies expect this level of “contamination,” and so will remove included caps themselves and recycle the rest. But you could help out by not putting them in your box in the first place.

ANY wax-coated boxes — that means, pretty much any box that is meant to hold freezer food, like frozen pizzas or frozen dinners or popsicles — are not recyclable. The wax coating clogs up the recycling machine. However, if you have green box recycling, these types of boxes can be put into the green box to be composted, rather than going to landfill.

Just call me Ms. Public Service. Thank you!

Edited to add: Further emailing has revealed that any boxes contaminated with grease and/or food cannot go into the black box. This includes pizza boxes with any kind of grease spots. Boxes that held dry foods, like dry pasta or Smarties, are okay. Greasy boxes can go into the green box for composting, if you have a green box program.