Unsure how to recycle, compost and properly dispose of solid waste? The City of Mountlake Terrace notes that nearly one of four items placed in your recycling bin is not actually recyclable — and that soggy items can spoil a whole load of recycling.

Soiled and wet paper should be placed in the trash and you should rinse your recyclable containers before placing them in bins. For tips on how to recycle correctly, visit Waste Management’s webpage at www.recycleoftenrecycleright.com.

Sharps (used syringes, needles and lancets) do not belong in the garbage or recycling, nor should they be flushed down the toilet, the city advises. Sharps can injure garbage collectors and other workers too, so please use “sharps disposals” — puncture-proof plastic containers with a lid. Your sharps containers can be returned to participating pharmacies for safe disposal. In Mountlake Terrace, Bartell Drugs (located in Cedar Plaza Shopping Center at 228th and 44th) is a participating pharmacy for sharps disposal.

Improperly discarded drugs can cause unintentional poisonings and environmental damage to Puget Sound. You may drop off unwanted or unused prescription medications to the Mountlake Terrace Police Station located at 5906 232nd St. S.W.. For details, call the police department at 425-670-8260.

If you’re not sure what to do with your solid waste items, visit the Snohomish County Solid Waste Division at www.snohomishcountywa.gov/207.