Don't bag recyclables. When it comes to recycling, keep it loose. Placing recyclables inside a plastic bag causes BIG problems when sorting recycling out at the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF). Plastic bags are known as "tanglers" because they tangle in the MRF equipment, causing shutdowns that halt work for hours. Plastic bags of all kinds are contamination in the recycling stream, including the bags that people use to line bins. To make recycling more efficient, and make it safer for workers, keep all plastic bags out of your recycling bins and do NOT place recycling in bags.
List of accepted materials in recycling:
- Aluminum & steel cans
- Aluminum foil
- Aluminum pie plates
- Glass food and beverage bottles & jars
- Rigid, single-use, plastic packaging & containers
- Boxboard & corrugated cardboard
- White & colored paper
- Newspaper, magazines & catalogs
- Paper mail & envelopes
- Paperback books
- Paper bags
Containers should be empty and larger than two inches in two directions. Paper and plastic products should be dry. All materials should be as free from food as possible. Note: the only exception to the plastic bag rule is shredded paper. Shredded paper MUST be in a clear, colorless bag and tied shut so workers can identify that it contains shredded paper.