Many plastics you would throw into the recycling bin have a number one through seven on them. Each one of these numbers represents a different type of plastic.

For years, counties told people which number items you can recycle. Although some waste management agencies are sticking to this system, many moved from the number system, and focus on telling people shapes they accept. 

The Mahoning County's Green team still says they accept numbers one and two, paper, and cardboard. Trumbull and Columbiana County tell people to recycle items in the shape of bottles, jugs, jars, and cans. Both of these counties also take cardboard and paper.

Jennifer Jones, Director of Geauga-Trumbull Solid Waste District, has been doing the shape system since she took over as director. She feels the new system is less confusing, and will encourage more people to recycle. 

"Rather than trying to find those tiny little numbers, on the packaging somewhere, I'm hoping that this makes it easier and more convenient for people to just look at it," said Jones. 

Just Zero, a nonprofit organization, said many agencies are moving to the new system.

"We all feel that urge. We don't want to put it in the garbage, we want to put it in the recycling bin if we can, the problem is, there's just not a lot of those materials, especially plastics, that can be put in the recycling bin, and actually be recycled," said Peter Blair, Policy and Advocacy Director at Just Zero. 

Jones said only about 18 percent of what goes into the bins ends up in a landfill.

Although the counties tells recyclers what they accept in different ways, numbers one and two are often bottles, jugs, jars, and cans.

You cannot recycle plastic bags at the three counties waste management agencies, unless it's at a drop-off station designed for plastic bags. 

You can find what you can recycle in Mahoning, Trumbull, and Columbiana Counties on their websites.