im new to it aswell but i do know that you shouldnt put envelopes in the paper bin for recycling because of the little plastic window. the plain envelopes are ok though. you should also wash out any plastic bottles and glass.

For paper- Almost all paper products, including cardboards can go into the paper recycling, the exceptions are items that come into direct contact with food (such as pizza boxes and take-out cartons), and paper products that have a plastic or wax coating on them (frozen food boxes, cigarette containers with cellophane on them, etc). Plastics will have a number on the bottom of them between one and six. This number lets you know what kind of plastic it is. Check with your city to see what kind of plastics they recycle. The higher the number, the harder it is to recycle. Typically numbers 1 and 2 are always recyclable. Always thoroughly rinse any plastics to be recycled. Glass- You should check with your local recycling company, but almost all types of clear, brown and green glass can be recycled. Some general Do's and Dont's- Nothing with food or grease should be recycled. (so yes, CLEAN pizza boxes can be recycled) Always break down boxes for recycling. Crush or flatten plastics to be recycled. Some cities even recycle large metals, aluminum, light bulbs and florescent tubes- check with your to see what can be recycled instead of thrown in the garbage. ALWAYS recycle something if you can, don't throw it away. Paper products especially. Over 70% of the trash in dumps are paper products that could have been recycled. Good luck!