Aluminum Foil Put in Container Recycling Aluminum foil belongs in a blue recycling bin labeled “Containers Only” or under the darker colored lid of a split recycling cart. Before recycling, please rinse off as much food residue as possible and then ball-up the foil so any remaining residue is inside the ball. Note that chip bags, granola bar wrappers, and similar packaging is metalized plastic (not aluminum) and cannot be recycled through our programs. They belong in your garbage bin. Not sure if something is aluminum or plastic? Try to scrunch it into a ball. If it springs back to its original shape, it’s plastic. Do the Scrunch Test Scrunch an item you’re not sure about in your hand and, if it springs back, it’s not aluminum. Ways to Reuse Sharpen Scissors Fold a sheet of foil several times and cut through it with a pair of dull scissors to sharpen the blades. Protect Plants Protect your young plant from insects by wrapping its stem loosely in aluminum foil. Clean Your Grill Crumple up a used piece of aluminum foil and use the ball to scrape the crust off your grill. Did You Know? How Aluminum Is Recycled Tin Foil Tin foil was the first commercially available foil and was in use from the late 1800s through the early 1900s. What we call “tin foil” today isn’t the same although it still persists. Luckily aluminum foil does not add a metallic aftertaste like true tin foil.