Local Recycling Item Sort Card

Overview

Local Recycling Item Sort Card helps a user turn confusing local disposal rules into a small household card for one item or item category. It identifies the item and location, checks official municipal or waste-authority guidance, chooses the bin, drop-off, special collection, trash, or hazardous-waste route, then produces a card with prep steps and exceptions.

Use official municipal, county, regional waste authority, hauler contracted by the municipality, or official hazardous-waste program guidance only. Do not rely on blogs, retailer advice, generic recycling symbols, social posts, or national generalizations when local rules are needed.

When to Use

Use this skill when the user says things like:

• "Can this go in my recycling bin?"
• "Make a card for how to dispose of pizza boxes in my city."
• "Where do batteries go locally?"
• "I keep forgetting whether this packaging is recyclable."
• "Create a fridge card for sorting this item before trash day."

Required Inputs

Ask for the minimum local sorting details:

• City, county, state/province, and country
• Building type if relevant: single-family curbside, apartment, condo, office, school, or drop-off only
• Waste provider or hauler if known
• Item name and material details from the item or packaging
• Photos or text from the package when available, including coating, lining, caps, lids, pumps, films, labels, or residue
• Whether the item is empty, clean, broken, sharp, electronic, battery-containing, chemical-containing, medical, or pressurized
• Collection context: curbside bin, organics, yard waste, bulk pickup, deposit return, retailer take-back, or transfer station

If location is missing, ask for it before making a local rule. Without location, provide only a blank template and explain that local rules vary.

Official Source Rules

Use only official local guidance for the final answer:

• Municipal public works, sanitation, recycling, solid waste, or environmental services pages
• County or regional waste authority pages
• Official contracted hauler pages when the municipality points to that hauler for rules
• Official household hazardous waste program pages
• Official collection calendar or searchable "what goes where" tool

If official guidance is unavailable or ambiguous:

• Say what was not found
• Mark the bin decision as "not confirmed"
• Recommend contacting the official waste authority or using the official lookup tool
• Do not substitute generic advice as a confirmed local rule

Hazardous and Special Items

Defer hazardous or special items to official hazardous-waste or special collection instructions. Do not give improvised disposal steps for:

• Batteries, button cells, lithium-ion devices, and battery-containing products
• Paint, solvents, fuels, pesticides, pool chemicals, cleaners, and unknown chemicals
• Sharps, needles, lancets, medical waste, medicine, and biohazardous items
• Electronics, fluorescent bulbs, mercury items, propane cylinders, aerosols, and pressurized containers
• Fireworks, ammunition, flares, smoke detectors, and other regulated items
• Broken glass, blades, knives, ceramics, mirrors, and other injury-risk items when local rules require special handling

For these, provide the official hazardous-waste or special-program link, phone number, drop-off program name, or "contact official authority" instruction. Keep safety wording practical and do not invent transport or packaging instructions unless the official source states them.

Workflow

Step 1 - Identify the Item

Capture the item, material, condition, residue level, and any features that change sorting:

• Paper, cardboard, carton, glass, metal, rigid plastic, film plastic, foam, textile, wood, compostable item, electronic, battery, chemical, medical, or mixed material
• Empty, rinsed, greasy, wet, broken, sharp, lined, coated, laminated, attached cap, pump, label, bagged, nested, or loose
• Single-use packaging versus durable product

Step 2 - Confirm the Local Program

Identify the exact jurisdiction and program type. If the user's address is needed for precise rules, ask for the smallest useful location, such as city and service area, rather than a full address unless the user volunteers it.

Step 3 - Check Official Guidance

Find the most specific official page or official lookup result for the item. Record:

• Official source name
• Page or tool title
• URL or contact path if available
• Date accessed when current lookup was performed
• Exact local rule in paraphrased form

Do not overquote official text. Summarize the rule and include the official link for verification.

Step 4 - Choose the Route

Classify the item as one of:

• Recycle curbside
• Recycle drop-off only
• Organics or compost
• Trash
• Bulk pickup
• Deposit return
• Retailer or producer take-back
• Household hazardous waste or special waste
• Not confirmed by official guidance

Add prep steps only from official guidance, such as empty and rinse, flatten, remove cap, keep cap on, no bags, separate film, dry paper only, remove food residue, schedule pickup, or use a drop-off site.

Step 5 - Build the Household Card

Make the card short enough to print, tape near a bin, or save on a phone. Include the item name, location, bin route, prep steps, do-not-recycle exceptions, hazardous or special handling route if relevant, and official-rule source.

Output Template

# Local Recycling Item Sort Card

## Item and Location
- Item:
- Material or package details:
- Condition:
- Location and program:
- Official source checked:
- Date checked:

## Sorting Decision
- Route: recycle curbside / recycle drop-off / organics / trash / bulk pickup / deposit return / take-back / hazardous waste / not confirmed
- Confidence: confirmed by official guidance / ambiguous / not confirmed

## Prep Steps
- Step 1:
- Step 2:
- Step 3:

## Do Not Recycle If
- ...

## Hazardous or Special Handling
- Applies: yes / no
- Official instruction or referral:

## Official Rule Link or Contact
- Source:
- Link or phone:

## Household Reminder
- Short bin-label wording:

If the item cannot be confirmed through official guidance, set Route to "not confirmed" and use the card to show the official next step rather than giving a guessed sorting decision.

Refusal and Redirect Examples

• "I cannot confirm a recycling route without your local jurisdiction because rules vary. I can make a blank card or check official guidance once you provide the city or waste authority."
• "I cannot use a generic recycling symbol as proof that this belongs in your local bin. I will rely on the official municipal rule or mark it unconfirmed."
• "This looks like a hazardous or special item. I will defer to the official household hazardous-waste instructions instead of giving improvised disposal steps."

Example Prompts

Copy and paste one of these to start:

1. "Can I recycle a greasy pizza box in Seattle?"
2. "Make a card for how to dispose of AA batteries where I live in Austin, TX."
3. "I have a broken glass jar — what bin does it go in for San Francisco curbside?"

Quality Checklist

Before returning the card, confirm that:

• The final sorting decision is grounded in official municipal, county, regional, contracted-hauler, or hazardous-waste guidance
• The exact local program and collection context are named
• Hazardous or special items are routed to official hazardous-waste or special-program instructions
• Generic recycling symbols, blogs, product claims, or national averages are not used as final authority
• Prep steps and exceptions are specific and practical
• Ambiguity is labeled clearly instead of hidden