
What you decide to put into a recycling bin or a trash bin makes quite a difference on environmental and economical status. For example, in order for us to drink from cans, aluminum had to be mined from alternative regions, shipped to California, melted down in a facility, manufactured, transported to producers and distributers, and distributed to retailers. All of this has an enormous amount of impact on the environment and economical well-being. Say this aluminum can is thrown into the garbage—all that energy, resources, and pollution is a waste. Yet, if we choose to recycle this same aluminum can, we can remove the wasted energy, resources, and start of pollution. That same can would be recycled and back onto the grocery store shelf within six weeks or less.
Recycling Contamination
Even if the beforementioned aluminum can was placed into a recycling bin, this does not guarantee the item ends up in a recycling center—it can still end up in a landfill. Recyclables like these often end up in landfills due to “recycling contamination”. This contamination often comes from people “wishcycling” items that do not belong in a recycling container. For example, someone may discard a used pizza box into the recycling container—this is not where a used pizza box should be placed. The individual who discarded the pizza box did so because they hoped or wished (hence “wishcycling”) that type of material could be recycled. In the end, this pizza box, and other materials being improperly discarded, has now potentially contaminated the rest of the items in the bin.
Not surprisingly, at the beginning of this year, China had even stopped purchasing America’s recyclables. This impact is massive as China was once purchasing over half of America’s recyclable materials. However, this does not mean recycling is a lost cause. To make an impact through recycling efforts, it is important to know what does and does not belong in a recycling container or bin. Here is a list of items that should not be placed into a recycling container:
PVC hoses and pipes
Diapers
Dishware
Pizza boxes
Paper cups
Frozen food boxes
Food scraps
Batteries
Plastic bags
Other items that do not belong in a recycling container include: electronic devices, sharps (needles), shredded paper, light bulbs, Styrofoam, paper towels, ice cream containers, paper milk cartons, clothing, and scrap metal.
Take 2 Services is more than happy to help you establish a clean recycling and disposal stream for your project. We even offer a split-bin that allows for easy on-site source separation for your project. If you have any questions regarding your recycling efforts, give us a call today (844) 88TAKE2 or (844) 888-2532. Let the experts at Take 2 Services help you!