Q: We are in the midst of moving. We are discarding old paper documents and have run out of grocery-size paper bags. Will the recycling accept paper documents in clear trash bags? Is there any other alternative?

A: One of the unchanging rules is that no plastic bags are allowed in the bins (despite what one sees walking down almost any street). If you put out plastic bags of paper they will probably be discarded at the sorting facility. In theory, the truck workers should refuse to take the bin at all if it has plastic bags. If all you have to put out is paper, you can just dump it loose into the bin, without having to bag it. If you want, you can save any cans or bottles you have to recycle for another week, and use all your bins for paper. Any very sturdy plastic container that is similar to bin-shaped can be used as well. On windy days loose paper can be a problem, so try to put heavier items like magazines or phone books on the top. If you are shredding personal documents, put the shreds at the bottom of the bin, then newspapers, then magazines at the top. You can also bundle up the newspapers and magazines, tie them with twine, and put them next to your bins.

Q: I was about to throw away an ice pack and wondered whether the stuff inside counts as hazardous waste. Can I throw it away or should it go to the collection?

A: The blue gel inside the reusable ones is benign and there is no problem with throwing it away in the trash. Some of the instant ones contain ammonium nitrate, an ingredient that is used in chemical fertilizers but sometimes also in explosives. However, a publication from the EPA states "Ammonium nitrate, in solid or molten form or in solution, is a stable compound and generally is difficult to explode." Some sources suggest that as a liquid (which is what it would be after it has chilled and then melted) it is not harmful The person at their answer line felt that it would be OK to throw the instant ice packs into the trash, and so did a manufacturer.

Some sources suggest that as a liquid (which is what it would be after it has chilled and then melted) it is not harmful but if you don't use the packs containing undiluted ammonium nitrate pellets you should treat just the pellets as hazardous waste. You're better off using it, and then throwing it away.