Okay, I'm a big mouth. I've stepped in and said I had the same confusion and correct them and then suggest to do what I did, call your local recycle center or waste disposal company. It usually opens a great conversation and let's me learn about some things that I was unsure about too.
http://www.lanecounty.org/departments/pw/wmd/recycle/pages/masterrecycler.aspx
Some counties may produce/offer a 'Recycler Handbook' free of charge or even better online. Example here:
http://www.lanecounty.org/Departments/PW/WMD/Recycle/Documents/recyclerhandbook.pdf