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Throwing Everything in the Recycling Bin and Hoping for the Best
Let’s be honest—we’ve all done it. You hold up that plastic container, squint at the numbers, and think, “Well, it’s got a recycling symbol, so it must be recyclable, right?” Wanting to help, without the knowledge of what can and cannot be recycled, leads many to wishcycling. Gregory said wishcycling is when “people wish that they could recycle something.” Despite good intentions, wishcycling leads to an array of problems in the recycling process. “Wishcycling”, while usually derived from good intentions, significantly increases the likelihood of contamination. Contaminating the waste stream with materials bound for rejection often incurs increased costs due to the extra labor required during sorting.
This well-intentioned mistake isn’t just unhelpful—it actually makes things worse. It complicates the sorting process at material recovery facilities (MRFs), as recyclable contamination leads to higher sorting costs and delayed timelines. Items like plastic bags and greasy pizza boxes can disrupt the sorting process, leading to entire facilities being shut down. Think of it like this: if you’re trying to sort a massive pile of LEGO blocks and someone keeps throwing in random toy cars, you’d get pretty frustrated too.
Putting Recyclables in Plastic Bags
Here’s one that trips up nearly everyone: bagging your recyclables. Many of us use plastic bags to collect recyclables, but at ecomaine these plastic bags actually cause hazards in our facility by getting stuck in our recycling equipment, causing our workers have to crawl into the system and cut them out. What to Do Instead: Keep it loose and don’t bag recyclables! The bags become tangled in recycling equipment, which forces operators to pause processing lines to extract bags and other forms of contamination from the sorting equipment.
It’s like trying to eat soup with a fork—technically possible, but not efficient. Those plastic bags jam up the sorting machinery faster than you can say “environmental responsibility.” Make sure your recyclables are free of liquids and food residue, which eliminates the need for bags altogether. Just toss your clean recyclables directly into the bin. The sorting machines are designed to handle loose materials, not wrestle with plastic bags.
Recycling Dirty or Food-Contaminated Containers
That takeout container with leftover pad thai might look recyclable, but it’s actually contamination waiting to happen. Liquids and food left in containers can contaminate not only items in your recycling cart, but also any other recycled materials they come in contact with. True, if you leave a dollop of mayo in the jar or a big swig of soda at the bottom of a bottle, it might not make a huge difference. But here’s the kicker—it’s the cumulative effect that matters. But imagine if everyone on your block did the same thing? Or everyone in your neighborhood? The cumulative effect can ruin otherwise perfect recyclable items.
The reality is that it can be nearly impossible for MRFs to sell materials to manufacturers — at market value or at all — if they don’t meet strict quality standards that limit contamination, including food and liquids. A common example of this is food packaging that still has food left in it – such as jars with bits of jam still inside, plastic bottles containing liquids, or takeaway trays and boxes that still have lots of food residue or grease in them. A quick rinse under the tap isn’t asking too much, and it makes all the difference.
Mixing Up What’s Actually Recyclable
The recycling symbols on packaging are basically the equivalent of hieroglyphics to most people. But aren’t all plastics recyclable? The answer is not as straightforward as one would hope. Contrary to popular belief, not all plastics are the same, and not all plastic items can be recycled. The U.S. has a plastic recycling rate of 5% – the worst of all developed countries regarding plastic recycling – which dropped from 2018’s 8.7% rate when imports to China were still accepted and counted as recycled.
Here’s what actually happens with those numbers: In King City, plastic items marked with the numbers 1, 2 and 5 are generally accepted in curbside collection as long as they are clean and dry to avoid contamination. Plastic bags, cups, plates, single-use utensils, black plastic, candy wrappers, snack bags, plastic films, and polystyrene containers are not considered recyclable material and should be placed in the waste bin. It’s frustrating, but those recycling symbols aren’t a guarantee—they’re more like a “maybe, if you’re lucky” symbol.
Throwing Away Batteries with Regular Trash
This one’s a big deal, and it’s getting worse. Lithium batteries are relatively new and are causing major issues in waste facilities. Many electronic products we use today are powered by lithium batteries, and when they are not disposed of properly, they can cause fires. The National Waste and Recycling Association estimates that more than 5,000 fires occur annually at recycling facilities.
The EPA is crystal clear about this: Do not place the waste lithium batteries in the household trash or in curbside recycling bins. Instead, EPA recommends that all household lithium batteries be dropped off at battery collection sites (e.g., often located at electronics retailers) or household hazardous waste collection facilities for proper management. To prevent fires, which can happen if batteries come in contact with each other or with other metals, EPA recommends taping the battery terminals (or connections) with non-conductive tape. Electrical tape is preferred, but all adhesive tapes not made of metallic material will work. Alternatively, placing each battery in its own plastic bag also isolates the terminals.
Ignoring Local Recycling Rules
One of the most maddening things about recycling is that it’s not standardized. Today, each state, city, and metropolitan area takes a different approach to sustainability—meaning that what can be recycled in one town may be impossible to recycle in another. It’s no wonder that consumers at home don’t know what can be composted and what can’t, or whether those plastic bottles, paper towels, or old TVs have a place in our existing curbside recycling programs. One survey conducted by the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) suggests that 66% of Americans would NOT recycle a product if it’s not easy or inconvenient to do so.
This inconsistency is driving people crazy. So, how can you know what’s recyclable? The answer varies by municipality. Doing so can be confusing at a time when we’ve not yet got a recycling system that works the same way across the country, but as the recycling system as a whole becomes more consistent, things will get simpler. In the meantime, here are a few pointers to help you get your recycling right. Your best bet is to check your local waste management website or call them directly.
Not Cleaning Recyclables Well Enough
There’s a sweet spot between obsessing over every speck of food and just throwing in dirty containers. The key with this type of contamination is moderation. You don’t need to remove every label or bit of sticky tape, you don’t need to remove the plastic windows from envelopes, and you don’t need to put your jam jars through the dishwasher, just make sure the jars are empty and give them a quick rinse. Tubs and jars with sticky food (peanut butter, margarine, jelly): Scrape with a rubber spatula to eliminate the gunk. Got a dishwasher? Stuff sticky containers in an empty corner before running a load.
For oily stuff, it’s even easier: Oily bottles (cooking oil, dressings, sauces, marinades, etc.): Add water, a drop of dish soap, and shake. Remember to keep your Blue Cart closed in case it rains. Wet paper and cardboard are tough to sort, and quickly mold. The goal isn’t surgical cleanliness—it’s preventing contamination that makes other recyclables unusable.
Mixing Non-Recyclable Materials with Cardboard
Amazon delivery day is basically Christmas morning for most households, but those boxes come with hidden enemies. While cardboard is recyclable, materials like Styrofoam, packing peanuts, and bubble wrap are not. What to Do Instead: Separate packing materials from the cardboard and only place the pure cardboard in the recycling bin. Another common example is cardboard that has sticky tape attached to it.
Here’s the good news: Though pizza boxes don’t seem recyclable due to the grease and food residue, we can still accept them at ecomaine! What to Do Instead: Recycle your pizza boxes! While cold pizza makes a good snack, make sure the box is empty. According to Earth911.com, one ton of recycled cardboard eliminates nine cubic yards of landfill space. Do your part by breaking down all of those delivery boxes you get on your porch each day.
Trying to Recycle Flexible Plastic Films
Those plastic bags from the grocery store seem like they should be recyclable, but they’re actually recycling kryptonite. Plastic wrap, plastics bags, and other plastic packaging that often has a recycling symbol on it, while commonly used, aren’t accepted in curbside recycling bins. What to Do Instead: Take plastic wrap and bags to designated recycling centers or participating stores such as Target, Hannaford, or Walmart. Plastic grocery bags and bagged recyclables are a major source of contamination in King City. Although they are often placed in recycling bins, these items cannot be recycled in curbside recycling programs.
The irony is thick here—these bags often have recycling symbols on them, but they can’t go in your regular recycling bin. In some cases, that might be the result of what’s known as ‘wishcycling’ – when we chuck without checking, in the hope that something is recyclable. It could be something that’s recyclable, but not collected by your particular local council, such as plastic wrapping. Many grocery stores have special collection bins for these films, so save them up and drop them off on your next shopping trip.
Contaminating Recyclables with Hazardous Materials
Sometimes people think the recycling bin is like a magical portal that can handle anything. Hazardous waste items are highly problematic when disposed of in regular waste or recycling streams, contributing to serious health and safety concerns for collection teams and MRF personnel. Advising households of the dangers involved with clear information can be combined with implementing dedicated drop-off points and specialist collection services, helping to ensure safe and appropriate disposal and reduce the risk of contamination.
Things like paint cans, cleaning products, and automotive fluids don’t belong in recycling bins. What’s more, some types of contamination can even be dangerous for the recycling and waste workers handling it. These materials need special handling and disposal at hazardous waste facilities. One of the most effective recycling rules to remember is, “when in doubt, throw it out,” according to Kevin Smith, Recycling Coordinator for Brevard County’s Solid Waste Management. Including non-recyclable materials in your bin can result in damage to recycling equipment or contamination that can cause entire batches of recycling to be landfilled rather than recycled.
Not Understanding the Economics of Recycling
Here’s something most people don’t realize: recycling is actually a business. Recycling is an essential part of the U.S. economy. Recycled items are processed into commodity-grade materials, which manufacturers purchase to make new products. According to the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI), recycling supplies 40% of the raw material needs for American manufacturers.
The quality of what you put in your bin directly affects whether it can be sold. Another consideration is the increased costs of collecting and sorting contaminated recycling – costs that are ultimately borne by all of us, as taxpayers. By making sure the right things are in the right containers, we can all help save time and money and make the recycling process more effective. Contamination can also reduce the value of the recyclable materials, and can lead to them having to be disposed of rather than recycled into new products. We know that contamination rates as recently as 10 years ago were calculated around seven percent. This begs the question: If your community could stem wishcycling behavior and clean up contamination by 10 percentage points, what could you accomplish with the potentially resulting $9 per household?
Assuming All Paper Products Are Recyclable
Not all paper is created equal in the recycling world. One study conducted in 2017 put the US spending on wrapping paper, tissue paper, and gift bags at $12.7 billion and most of it is not recycled. The recycling rate of paper and cardboard packaging in the EU has remained above 80% since 2008 up until 2022 (last year recorded). Paper and cardboard packaging had the highest recycling rate out of all packaging waste in the EU in 2022, at 83.2% – followed by metallic (75%), glass (75%), and plastic (41%).
The problem is that paper products come in many forms. The city’s curbside recycling program also accepts clean paper, magazines, newspapers, cardboard, shredded paper (bagged in clear bags), metal cans, empty aerosol cans, clean aluminum pans/foil, and glasses. But shredded paper needs special handling, and items like tissues, paper towels, and paper plates usually can’t be recycled due to contamination or the way they’re processed. While many people dream of a paperless office, the average office worker generates around 2 pounds of paper and paperboard waste per day. Office paper waste is estimated to be around 12.1 trillion sheets of paper a year, with paper accounting for 50% of waste from businesses.
Conclusion
The truth is, recycling doesn’t have to be rocket science, but it does require paying attention. Only 21% of recyclable material is captured and all materials are under-recycled. 76% of recyclables are lost at the household level, underscoring the importance of providing all households with recycling services and engaging people with good communication about how to recycle locally. According to a 2021 survey, while 95% of Americans say they consistently engage in recycling, fewer than half know the basics.
The good news is that small changes can make a huge difference. Today, for example, the municipal solid waste (MSW) recycling rate in the US remains as low as 35% and while numerous waste management initiatives aim to increase that number, there are plenty of challenges ahead for both consumers and the wider recycling industry. By avoiding these common mistakes, you’re not just helping the environment—you’re making the entire recycling system work better for everyone.
Remember: when in doubt, check with your local waste management authority. They want your recyclables to actually get recycled just as much as you do. Less contamination means more recycling success. Next time you rinse out that last bit of ketchup, remember: thanks to you, your recyclables can live on and create something new.
