The Do’s and Don’ts of Recycling
The recycling industry is experiencing high levels of contamination – trash in the recycling – at a time when the requirements for quality (clean recycling) are increasing due to new policies implemented by end markets for recyclable materials.
Earlier this year, China began to limit the quality and quantity of material it accepts for recycling, impacting the recycling industry world-wide. As a result, our focus on quality is higher than ever, as we work to ensure the long-term sustainability of our recycling programs.
When non-recyclable items (contamination) end up in your recycling, they have the potential to turn the entire load into trash, resulting in contamination and additional processing and disposal costs.
Under your service terms, you may be assessed contamination charges of up to $69.00 per yard (based on the size of your recycling container) for excess contamination found in your container during recycling collection.
Here are some tools for success – follow these simple rules
to avoid contamination charges.
RECYCLING DO’S
DO recycle all empty plastic bottles, cans, paper and cardboard.
DO keep foods and liquids out of recycling.
DO keep plastic bags out of recycling.
RECYCLING DON’TS
DON’T bag your recyclables – plastic bags and film get tangled in the machinery.
DON’T add sharp or dangerous materials like needles and electronics – they can cause injury to our workers.
DON’T toss in “tanglers” like rubber hoses and wires – they can shut down an entire recycling center!
DON’T include bulky items like propane tanks or construction debris.
Share these tips and post them as a reminder of Waste Management’s recycling guidelines. For more tools to help your team follow the do’s and don’ts of recycling, visit www.RecycleOftenRecycleRight.com.
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