Are you recycling right? Check out these tips

Do you ever feel unsure about what you’re putting in your recycling bin, and hope that you’re doing the right thing? Of course, we all do that from time to time. Unfortunately, our good intentions can lead to dirty recycling.

Clean recycling is essential to ensure high-quality, marketable products that are in demand in today’s recycling industry.

“We’ve been doing this for decades and it’s still confusing as to what exactly should be placed in a curbside tote or a drop-off recycling bin,” says Jane Collisi, executive director of West Central Solid Waste District.

Recycling the right way doesn’t have to be difficult or time-consuming, and there’s no need to feel guilty if you can’t recycle all of your household waste.

“It’s more important to recycle correctly than to throw items in that don’t belong and contaminate the whole load. We just need to get back to basics by recycling only the items listed as acceptable,” noted Collisi.

Here is a quick checklist of recycling do’s and don’ts to help clean up our recycling stream:

• RECYCLE only the items listed as accepted in the bins. Check signage and bin labels, or contact your hauler if you have questions. When in doubt, throw it out.

• RINSE containers to remove residue (metal cans, plastic containers #1-7, glass bottles and jars). This only takes seconds, but makes a huge difference. 

• FLATTEN, flatten, flatten all cardboard boxes (remove greasy or food-stained portions and throw those in the trash).

• EMPTY plastic bags of recyclables LOOSELY into the bins and take the bags with you to use again (Exception: shredded paper). Large bulky bags take up valuable space causing bins to fill and overflow quickly, not leaving room for your neighbor’s recycling.

• NEVER leave anything on the ground if the bins are full. This encourages others to leave material also, and is considered illegal dumping which can lead to a site being closed. The bins are fullest on switch out days, so try coming the day after the bins are emptied so you don’t waste a trip.

• REDUCE the amount of waste you buy and REUSE as much as you can.

• REMEMBER that recycling is the LAST step to waste reduction.