Garbage. The average person generates over four pounds of it every day, but unfortunately not many practice responsible recycling habits.

A full 87% of Americans have access to curbside or drop-off paper recycling programs, but there is some confusion surrounding what exactly constitutes trash. So to help you sort it out, we’ve put together a quick and easy guide that explains what should be thrown away and what should be placed in your recycling bins.

Throw away: Pizza boxes, greasy plates, and used paper towels
Despite popular belief, those pizza boxes belong in the bin for garbage pickup, not recycling.

While many cardboard pizza boxes do have that trusty recycling logo on them, it is what comes inside the box that makes it un-recyclable. When cardboard is recycled, it is mixed with water and turned into slurry. But the grease and cheese from the pizza is unable to mix with the mixture, so these materials are better kept for curbside garbage pickup.

Recycle: Juice boxes and milk cartons
It is a good idea to check with your county to make sure they accept these materials, but it is a good rule of thumb to toss them in the recycling bin once they are empty. If possible, just rinse out the milk jugs first.

Throw away: Colored paper
One piece of colored paper has the ability to stop a whole batch of white paper from being recycled. Considering that all paper is mixed together during the recycling process, colored paper can jeopardize the ability for the recycled paper to be used in the future.

Recycle: Bottle caps
In the past, you may have been told to remove the plastic cap on your bottle before recycling it. Well that’s no longer true, as recycling plants are now able to accommodate the entire bottle. That little piece of plastic makes a difference, so don’t forget it!

Throw away: Paper coffee cups
Many believe that those paper coffee cups are recyclable, but this is untrue because the thin polyurethane lining that prevents the cup from leaking makes it difficult for most processing services to recycle the cups. Just put them in the box meant for garbage pickup and bring a reusable mug the next time you go to your favorite coffee shop.

In a lifetime, the average American will throw away 600 times their weight in garbage, but how much of that garbage could have been recycled? So make sure to be cautious about what you throw away and recycle whatever you can!