Recent restrictions on recycling have left many diligent Oregonian recyclers confused and dismayed about what they can and can’t recycle.   China was a major market for Oregon recyclables, especially the type of plastic that isn’t allowed in weekly recycling bins. Examples include car seats, small plastic containers (less than 6 ounces), and the plastic bags wrapped around your newspaper.   But don’t fret, intrepid Oregonian recycler. Even if you can't put them in your curbside bins, you can still recycle all those items (as of this writing), as well as materials you may not realize are recyclable, such as plastic bottle caps and Styrofoam.   As a bonus, you can recycle many of these items for free in the Portland area, and some dropoff locations are as close as your neighborhood retailer.   Read on to learn where you can recycle specific materials, along with some tips on how to make the journey easier. Polystyrene (including Styrofoam)   As counter-intuitive as it seems, you can recycle polystyrene. Tigard-based Agilyx will recycle different types of polystyrene, including Styrofoam take-out containers and the polystyrene blocks that cushion products inside cardboard boxes.   How: Agilyx is one of the few “chemical recycling” plants in the U.S. that breaks down polystyrene into liquid form.   Tip: Agilyx won’t accept starch peanuts, polyethylene foam, or polypropylene foam. Read their Frequently Asked Questions list on their website to learn more about their recycling process.   Bonus tip: There’s a dog park next to the plant.   Where: 13240 S.W. Wall St., Tigard; agilyx.com or 503-217-3160. Plastic film (such as produce and newspaper plastic bags)   Plastic film is ubiquitous, but some plants can still recycle this material into other materials, such as the composite wood used in backyard decks.   How: Many retailers have specially marked boxes where you can drop off plastic bags. Participating retailers include Safeway, Target, Walmart and the Garden Home Marketplace (formerly Lamb's Thriftway) in Southwest Portland.   Tip: You can’t recycle chip bags, candy bar wrappers or compostable bags. Additionally, plastic film recycling rules can be arbitrary. Some retailers (like Garden Home Marketplace) can’t accept “colored plastic” bags, such as bread bags, because their recycler won’t take them. So call your retailer’s customer service number if you’re unsure what is accepted.   Where: Various retailers; go to plasticfilmrecycling.org to search by zip code for a dropoff location.  Carpet and carpet pad (residential only)   Once you could drop off carpet and carpet pads at carpet stores or at centers like Far West Recycling. Commercial businesses have more choices for carpet recycling, but homeowners have few options.   How: Environmentally Conscious Recycling accepts small amounts of carpet and carpet pads. At its 350,000-square-foot facility, your vehicle is weighed, you let the booth attendant know what you are hauling, and then you are directed to an area where another employee will confirm whether your load is acceptable. There is a $25 minimum fee for up to 200 pounds; the cost is 5.5 cents per pound for anything above that weight ($110 per ton).   Tip: If possible, bring a heavy-duty vehicle to navigate the steep inclines. Some paths in the facility are unpaved, so check the weather forecast before you go if you want to avoid excessively muddy conditions.   Where: 12409 N.E. San Rafael St., Portland; ecrrecycling.com or 503-253-0867. Car seats   Car seats are another casualty of China’s “hard plastics” ban. But at least one retailer accommodates parents interested in recycling their kids’ car seats.   How: Target has week-long “car seat trade-in” promotions where you can recycle your car seat (you don’t have to remove the fabric), as well as car seat bases. Target partners with Waste Management to recycle the car seats.   Tip: The next car seat trade-in is planned for September. Go to target.com to check for updates.   Where: Selected Target locations; check target.com. Plastic bottle caps and #5 plastic containers   The numbers on the bottom of recyclable products identify what the recyclable is made of. For example, #5 plastics are polypropylene, such as soda bottle caps, yogurt lids and prescription medicine bottles.   How: Preserve is one company that seeks to “close the loop” for polypropylene by creating new products out of old ones. You can also recycle #5 plastics with TerraCycle, but you will need to pay for a box that is delivered to your home.   Tip: You don’t need to make sure bottle caps are stamped with the number 5; Preserve will accept any bottle caps or container lids. You can see Preserve’s entire list of accepted materials at preserve.eco.   Where: You can mail your #5 plastics to Preserve or order a TerraCycle box (terracycle.com). Some Whole Foods Market locations are partners with Preserve’s Gimme 5 program, but you’ll need to call individual stores to confirm their participation.