We know the guilty feeling of throwing away something that might be recyclable. Maybe that item was really heavy. Perhaps it was made of metal. It might even be made of nothing but paper. You want so badly to recycle that item because the thought of something that just might, maybe, possibly have a slight chance at being recycled is too much to resist. Instead of sending it straight to the garbage, you make a wish and put it in your recycling bin.
Here at Take Care of Texas, we love supporting avid recyclers. But could you be causing more harm than good when you put these questionable items in your curbside bin? Recycling items containing food stuffs or unrecyclable components can contaminate an entire batch of recycling and damage machinery, thus rendering recycling efforts virtually useless.
A term known throughout the recycling community for putting non-recyclable material into the recycle bin is called “wish-cycling.” The term was coined by Bill Keegan, the president of a recycling company in Shakopee, MI, who defined it as “the practice of tossing questionable items in the recycling bin, hoping they can somehow be recycled.”
1. Time Wasted
A materials recovery facility, or MRF, processes and sorts recyclable material. When items such as plastic bags, wire hangers, and plastic hoses are placed in the recycling bin, they can damage machinery, slow down the process, and ultimately halt operations.
2. Money Wasted
When damaged machinery needs to be repaired, it will ultimately cost taxpayers and customers money. Additionally, when contaminated material or trash finds its way into bundles of similar material, it can reduce the value and even contaminate the entire bundle. When an entire bundle becomes contaminated, it has no market value and ultimately reduces Texas’ recycling rate.
3. More Waste Generated
Trash, non-recyclable items, and contaminated batches must go somewhere! Unfortunately, these get sent directly to a landfill.
To be a responsible recycler, familiarize yourself with what can and can’t be recycled in your area. In many cases, items that can and can’t be recycled are listed right on your bin. You could also contact your city or county for regional-specific information about recycling.
Some common examples of nonrecyclable items that people mistakenly try to recycle include electronics, wire hangers, textiles, garden hoses, aerosol cans, shredded paper, plastic wrap, paper towels, light bulbs, pottery, batteries, and household hazardous waste (HHW).
Check out the links below, do a quick internet search, or contact your local recycler to learn more about what items are acceptable and which are just wishful thinking.
• TCEQ Recycling Webpage
• What Do I Do With It Now? A Quick Guide to Recycling Resources
• TCEQ Study on the Economic Impacts of Recycling (2017)
• Decoding Plastic Recycling Logos
