Frequently Asked Questions

A number of California agencies have now standardized on purple for their recycled water signs. Given the large investment in new recycled water infrastructure in California, the California standards have now come to dominate other states as well. Purple Recycled Water signs are used by many other states. We have not seen color codes emerging, yet, for signs used to warn against certain uses of greywater and, certainly, not for desalination systems.

Yes, some bins provide a difficult application surface for labels. They are often made of polyethylene, which can be a tough and rather slick surface. We have had best luck when we ”rough” up the surface slightly. Also, make sure that the application surface is clean. Use a cleaning solution and a Scotchbrite pad. Remove oils. Rough up the surface slightly. You will be amazed at how much difference a simple cleaning will make.

If you are still having troubles, give us a call. We have some very aggressive adhesives that are great for many “hard-to-stick-to” surfaces.

I’d love to help. Generally, we take each project on an case-to-case basis and give you a discounted price that just covers our out-of-pocket costs. Please give me a call with the details of your spring project. Getting our kids involved with recycling and educating them on the importance of renewable resources is a special interest of mine.

Another affordable way to make recycle signs and labels is to use our free design service. Just design your own stickers and print them on your laser or ink jet printer. These can be used with one of the standard Avery label sheets. You can buy these packs of blank labels at most office supply stores.

These numbers indicate the type of plastic that is used for that product. Instituted by the American Society of Plastics, this “Resin Recycling Code” helps recyclers quickly identify the proper recycling stream. PET, for example, is “1”; Vinyl is “3”, etc. For more information see our Guide to Recycling Symbol.

No standard has yet to emerge. Generally, we see red or blue as being most common for metal; green is used for yard waste and, sometimes, food. Blue is often used for glass and blue or yellow are common for paper. And, black is used, often, for non-recyclable trash.

As you can see, colors are not consistently applied! Coding seems to vary enormously by community and depends, often, on the initial purchase of the bins.

In any case, we have found that color-coordinating your bins is a great idea. Make it easy distinguish each type and, importantly, increase participation rates!

If you have a unique color scheme in mind and cannot find a recycle label or sign that aligns with your scheme, it is easy to customize any of our designs.