Last time I was at the Recycling Center I noticed that aluminum pie pans & aluminum foil goes in the same bin. I thought they had to go in separate bags or bins. Also, I noticed that one of the signs on the aluminum pie/foil bin said silver aluminum only. I have a red aluminum pan. Can it be recycled? ~Recycler

Dear Recycler,

Aluminum foil and aluminum pans are now combined in the same bin or bag and any color aluminum is recyclable. The problem is whether or not the foil is actually aluminum foil. The sign was put up quite a while go because fake aluminum foil was being put in the bin. Fake foils are “look-a-likes” that appear to be aluminum foil, but they are not. For example, when you open a bag of potato chips, the inside part of the bag looks like it is foil. To see if the bag really is aluminum foil, do this quick test. Crumble it up. If it stays crumbled, it is aluminum. If it unfolds, it is not. Thanks for calling the sign to our attention. Since it is no longer needed, it has been taken down. Make sure your pans and foil are clean before recycling them. One dirty pan or dirty foil can contaminate the items around them, and they are no longer recyclable. Large cities have special equipment to clean all items, but that equipment is not available here.