Things You Shouldn't Recycle

While many of us have the best intentions about recycling, we aren’t always doing it right. ????

For example, the clothes hangers that came with the new outfit you bought may be plastic, but that doesn’t mean they’re recyclable. ????

Many people will toss items like this in their recycling bin, hoping to be recycled. But these items become contaminants in the recycling stream.?One contaminant can lead to an entire truckload of perfectly recyclable items being sent to a landfill.?

In the industry, this is referred to as “aspirational recycling” or “wish-cycling.”?        

Our recycling managers have identified five items they see all too often in recycling facilities, none of which belong there:?

?? Plastic bags:?Keep your recyclables loose and never bag them. Sorters at the recycling facility cannot sort through what’s in the bag, so the whole thing could wind up in the garbage pile. To dispose of plastic bags, return them to the store where you got them, or throw them in the trash. Better yet, please don’t use them.?

?? Toys:?Though many toys are plastic, they generally can’t be recycled. Donate them for reuse, or dispose of them in your trash.?

?? Clothing:?Like toys, clothing can be reused but not recycled. If items are heavily used, throw them away or repurpose them as rags. Give unwanted clothing to a local charity, or sell it at a consignment shop.?

???? Disposable diapers:?Eww! Clean or dirty, diapers can’t be recycled. Dispose of them in the trash.?

?? Yard debris:?Grass clippings, leaves, and branches should go in a dedicated yard waste container or your trash can. Yard debris also can be composted in some places.?

We play a critical role in keeping our community recycling programs running correctly and helping to reduce contamination.

I'm here to help, contact me today to ensure your recycling and waste program meets your site's current needs.