What Not to Recycle

Just like knowing what to recycle is important, so is knowing what not to recycle. You may think: "Throw everything in the recycling! They will sort it out and tons of stuff will end up getting recycled!" Well sorry, you're wrong. Townships have rules on what you should and should not recycle for a reason. The wrong items can contaminate large batches of otherwise recyclable materials, or they can cause issues with their machines and make a huge mess in the sorting facility.

My township (Cheltenham Township, PA) has a document you can download (and print out for reference) that they call The Dirty Dozen. It goes through twelve types of things you should never put in the recycling bin, and why! All townships are different, but I'm betting that your area has some very similar rules. Click below to check out the list:

Click Here for the List

Pizza Boxes:
Something they do not mention on The Dirty Dozen list is pizza boxes (but I know from the website that my township also does not accept them). Pizza boxes seem harmless because they are just cardboard, which is very recyclable, but they are soaked in grease. I learned from an Earth911 article (http://www.earth911.com/food/the-pizza-box-mystery/) that when paper and cardboard are recycled, they are mixed with water. The greasy oils mix up in the water, can not be separated and it contaminates the whole batch of paper. Used paper plates, used napkins, and used paper towels, etc. should also not be recycled for this reason. Glass and metal containers are not as much of an issue because the food can easily be rinsed off (which you should do before recycling), and they are recycled using a heat process, not with water. If the top of the box is grease free, you can remove it and recycle at least part of the box. I've been informed that Greensboro, NC has just recently started accepting pizza boxes because of technology that removes the grease somehow. I don't think many other places have this yet, but be on the lookout for this technology to spread! :D 

On the township website they also list some more examples of items that can not go into the recycling (some are overlap from the Dirty Dozen list). I am betting this is a very similar list for where you live, but you could do more research on your particular area:

Plastics:
"Do not include plastic bags, PVC piping, plastic CD cases, VHS/VCR tapes, spray gun tops or Styrofoam, including packing peanuts."

Glass:
"Do not include broken glass, windowpanes, mirrors, light bulbs, ceramics, porcelain, dishware or drinking glasses."

Metal:
"Do not include coat hangers, aluminum foil, cooking plates, plumbing fixtures, car parts, scrap meal or electronic waste like cell phones and computers. Note: The Township will accept some types of scrap metal. Call the Public Works Dept. for details."

Paper:
"Do not include hardback books, Styrofoam, or waxed paper."


Since this blog is not about "look how great I am! Everyone else should act like me!" I will tell you some faults I have done in regards to this. I often forget about the plastic cap rule and I keep them on the containers (e.g. on the milk). The Dirty Dozen list claims that plastic caps like this should be removed and put in the trash, and metal lids should be removed and recycled loose. I believe I also recycled a broken dish glass once, which is a no for two reasons: no dishware or drinking glasses, and no broken glass. Oops. We are ALL learning. Small steps, yeah?

So now we know what not to put in the recycling container. But some of these items can be recycled with a little more effort if you are dedicated. This is mentioned in the Dirty Dozen list for a few of the items. The next post will talk more about how to recycle some of these items.