The Common Pitfalls in Our Approach to Recycling

Recycling is a civic responsibility and an ethical obligation, but it can also be an inconvenience. Take, for instance, the typical plastic coffee cup. Many of us, with good intentions, toss our used coffee cups and lids into the recycle bin, imagining they will be transformed into a sustainable toy for children in need. The unfortunate reality, however, is that these cups are most likely headed for the landfill. The plastic coffee cups have a waterproof coating that makes recycling them challenging, which is why most recycling centers discard them as waste.

We all strive to be responsible recyclers, hoping to make a positive impact. However, if you rush into recycling without fully understanding how the process works, you might unintentionally contribute to more waste. It’s unfortunate, but the truth is: you’re probably recycling incorrectly.

Don't just take our word for it. We spoke with Erica Deyarmin-Young, the public affairs coordinator for Waste Management in Western Pennsylvania, the largest residential recycling service provider in North America. Each week, countless green Waste Management trucks collect millions of curbside recycling bins. She shared some valuable insights on the most common mistakes consumers make.

1. The Problem of 'Wishful Recycling'

According to Deyarmin-Young, her team has encountered all sorts of strange items in the recycling bins: bowling balls, Styrofoam coolers, curling irons, electronic toys for kids with lights and sounds, rubber hoses, car parts — the list goes on.

"We encounter a lot of 'wishful recycling,'" says Deyarmin-Young. "People think, 'I'm not sure what this item is. It could be plastic or some kind of glass. I really want it to be recycled, so I’ll just throw it in the bin and hope my recycling team can find a way to reuse it.' They are 'wishing' the item could be recycled. Sadly, when these non-recyclable materials arrive at our facility, we have to remove them as contamination."

"Contamination" refers to anything that cannot be processed by a typical single-stream recycling facility. In such facilities, truckloads of mixed materials — plastics, paper, metals, glass — arrive together, and a combination of smart machines and fast-moving workers sort through them to separate the recyclable items from the trash. So, when you toss a bowling ball into your recycling bin, all you're doing is postponing its journey to the landfill. It’s better to donate it to Goodwill.

2. Throwing Away Not-quite-clean Containers

Here's a recycling industry "dirty little secret": it's not a public service driven by goodwill. Recycling is a business. Companies like Waste Management and other residential recyclers profit by selling large, compacted blocks of recycled materials — such as plastic, paper, metal, and glass — to manufacturers who turn these materials into new products. The 'product' Waste Management deals with is the stuff in your recycling bin. If it's dirty, greasy, wet, or damaged in any way, it becomes unappealing to potential buyers.

"One bad apple can spoil the entire batch," says Deyarmin-Young. "If even one item in the recycling load is problematic, it can contaminate everything else nearby."

Liquids and food residue are the primary culprits. A bottle of water or detergent spilling onto a stack of cardboard will turn it into a soggy, unusable mess in the sorting machines. Leftover yogurt from a Chobani container can smear onto other recyclables, and the company purchasing the plastic bales will reject the entire batch. To save time and money, workers at Waste Management's facility actively seek out and discard any materials contaminated by food or liquids. So, unless you rinse out your recyclables, your efforts are likely headed straight for the landfill.

3. Wrapping Items in Plastic Bags

One of the most common mistakes made by well-meaning recyclers is wrapping items in plastic grocery bags. Since we’re so used to bagging our trash, it's instinctive to neatly bundle up a pile of cat food cans in a plastic bag before tossing it into the recycling bin. However, all you're really doing is sending those bagged cans straight to the landfill.

Plastic bags can get caught in the large sorting machines at single-stream recycling facilities, says Deyarmin-Young. "When this happens, we have to stop the plant and send workers in to manually remove the plastic film. Not only does this disrupt our workflow, but it also presents a safety hazard for the employees who need to handle the removal of the material."

Plastic bags are fully recyclable, according to Deyarmin-Young, but not through your curbside recycling bin. There's a helpful website, plasticfilmrecycling.org, where you can find nearby grocery stores and retailers that will accept your old plastic shopping bags. Just keep in mind that anything you try to recycle in a bag will end up being tossed into the trash.

More Recycling Guidelines and Tips

Plastic bottle caps are recyclable now, but only if they remain attached to the bottle.

Cardboard boxes should be flattened before disposal, or else they can block other items in the sorting machines.

Broken glass cannot be recycled because the sorting machines can't handle the tiny shards and, on top of that, it poses a safety risk to workers at recycling facilities.

Plastic utensils, clamshell containers (like those that hold berries at the grocery store), chip bags, and candy wrappers are not recyclable for a variety of reasons.

Clean pizza boxes (without food residue or the paper liner) are recyclable.

If you're uncertain about whether an item is recyclable, don't place it in the recycling bin.