Environment

5 Things You Shouldn't Recycle

Sep 12, 2018 5:15 PM ET

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 made of plastic, but that doesn’t mean they’re recyclable. 

Many people will toss items like this in their recycling bin, hoping they can be recycled. In the industry, this is referred to as “aspirational recycling” or “wish-cycling.” 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. 

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

  1. Plastic bags: Keep your recyclables loose and never bag them. Sorters at the recycling facility are unable to 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, don’t use them. 
  2. Toys: Though many toys are made of plastic, they generally can’t be recycled. Donate them for reuse, or dispose of them in your trash. 
  3. Clothing: Like toys, clothing can be reused but not recycled. Give unwanted clothing to a local charity, or sell it at a consignment shop. If items are worn out, throw them away or repurpose as rags. 
  4. Disposable diapers: Eww! Clean or dirty, diapers can’t be recycled. Dispose of them in the trash. 
  5. Yard debris: Grass clippings, leaves and branches should go in a dedicated yard waste container, or in your trash can. Yard debris also can be composted in some places. 

“We all play a critical role in keeping our community recycling programs running properly and helping to reduce contamination,” said Pete Keller, Republic Services’ vice president of recycling and sustainability.

If you’re unsure whether something can be recycled, it’s better to put it in the trash can. Keep this in mind: When in doubt, throw it out. 

For more simple recycling tips, visit our website recyclingsimplified.com.