Trash that Should Be Kept Out of Your Recycling Bin

Last updated 10 months ago

Recycle Earth - Americas Western Hemisphere

Everyone knows how important recycling is to the planet, and technological advances mean that more things can be recycled these days than ever before. However, there are still some things that are best kept out of your recycling bin. Do your recycling service a favor, and put these items in your trash can:

Shredded or Colored Paper

Whole or torn sheets of paper are ideal for recycling, but shredded paper is a different story. When your shred paper, you break up the paper fibers, making it more difficult to recycle. Shredded paper is also hard for recycling services to handle because it gets mixed up with other materials during the sorting process.

Colored paper is also a non-recyclable item. The color will seep into the other paper being recycled, rendering it useless. Pastel paper is OK for recycling, but put dark or neon paper in the trash.

Plastic Bags

Plastic bags are completely recyclable, but not by your residential recycling service. The problem is that the bags tend to get wrapped up in the sorting machines at plants used by many recycling services. Take these bags back to your grocery store. Most store chains have their own plastic bag recycling programs.

Pizza Boxes

Many people head to their recycling bins with their pizza boxes, because they are made of corrugated cardboard that, in many cases, comes from recycled material itself. However, once a pizza is added to a box, its recyclable days are over. The grease from the pizza bonds to the cardboard. Cardboard is shredded and mixed with water during the recycling process. The grease doesn’t mix with the water and instead contaminates the entire batch of recycling.

Pizza boxes aren’t the only culprit. You should keep all food-related waste out of your recycling bin for the same reason.

At Western Disposal Services, we’re here to help make recycling easy for you. If you’re unsure what to put in your recycling bin, or if you need more information about our commercial and residential recycling and waste management services, call us at (303) 586-1100.