Contamination
Contamination is a huge issue for recycling facilities, with up to 30 percent of U.S. recycling being contaminated. Because the public receives inconsistent and confusing messages about what can, and can’t, be recycled, Put It In The Bin created the “Can I Recycle This?” campaign to help clear up the issues for consumers.
With this campaign, Put It In The Bin gets back to the basics, using simple imaging to show what is recyclable. A green √ means an item is recyclable (e.g., bottled water containers)—but a red X means an item is not recyclable (e.g., paper plates, wax-coated containers, etc.).
The “Can I Recycle This?” campaign tackles a lot of recycling issues that consumers face. For example, did you know that greasy pizza boxes aren’t recyclable because the food residue contaminates the recycling stream? However, if you’ve got a clean pizza box with no food residue, recycle away! Here’s another interesting recycling nuance: Your plastic bottles are recyclable—but you shouldn’t bag them and then place that bag into the recycling bin because reclaimers inform us that bags of bottles could jam up the equipment and slow down the recycling process (and perhaps even hinder those recyclables from being recycled).
Join the Put It In The Bin initiative in encouraging the public to do the right thing and help end the contamination of the recycling stream.