THE QUESTION
Have you ever made it to your recycling bin only to realize you're not actually sure if the item can be recycled? You're not alone. We've seen repeated Facebook posts disputing what can and cannot be recycled. So we set out to Verify this with an expert. It is important to remember that while there are general guidelines for recycling, the specific recyclable items accepted in area can vary by county-- we will show you where to find those lists below.
Kristen Wieland is the director of communications for Kent County Department of Public Works.
Katie Venechuck is a DEQ Recycling and Waste Minimization Specialist in the West Michigan area.
Here's what we got:
If one piece of trash in a recycling batch is not recyclable will the entire batch be thrown out?
Generally, NO. But think about it like this... if each house on a route includes 'just one or two' pieces of non recyclables that totals to a large amount of trash, which can result in an entire batch being rerouted to the landfill.
That is a decision made by the individual recycling facility staff. This decision is often made depending on if there is simply too much trash to sort through, a lot of materials that could potentially jam up the equipment or an excessive contamination of paper products (food and liquid that's soaked through paper recyclables).
"One of the largest issues with contamination in single stream recycling is food waste, grease, and other liquids coming into contact with paper materials (paper, paperboard, and cardboard). These materials are very sensitive to contamination. Including a yogurt cup that isn’t perfectly clean will not cause a big issue, but a half empty jar of spaghetti sauce will."
What happens when a piece of non-recyclable garbage is recycled?
Basically, you're sending trash on a longer route to the landfill while creating more work for facility workers-- and that's only if the non recyclable waste is caught before being sent out to manufactures. When trash slips through and gets combined with recyclables it lowers the overall value, which is one reason why recycling costs $$$.
"These facilities are designed to sort our recyclables and represent a significant capital investment. At these facilities, recyclables are placed on a series of conveyor belts. At the front of the line, workers manually remove garbage and unacceptable materials.
Workers also sort certain recyclables from the conveyor system. After the recyclables move past the workers, they continue to a series of mechanized equipment for further sorting. When a piece of non-recyclable garbage is included in the recycling bin, the goal of the material recovery facility (MRF) is to pull it out prior to the recyclables moving toward the automated portion of the line. In short, when non-recyclable items are included, they are sent on a longer trip to the landfill.
The cost of disposal then becomes the responsibility of the MRF. If the waste isn’t caught by workers before moving to the automated portion of the line, it ends up commingled with the loads of recyclables sent to manufacturers. Commingled waste in recyclables causes issues with the reliability of a quality feedstock for re-manufacturing.
The capital cost of MRFs, the need to pay for disposal of non-recyclable waste, and the potential impact of waste commingled within recyclables sent to re-manufacturers (lowering the value) are a few of the reasons why recycling isn’t free."
What are the top non-recyclable items that people continue to recycle?
"This question is highly dependent on the recycling program in your area. It is important to ask your service provider what is accepted through your recycling program. At times we can be “wishful recyclers”, which is the term used to explain placing an item in the recycling bin “just in case.” If a material recovery facility had a market for the material, they would ask for it. By including items that are not on the list, you are sending them on a longer trip to the landfill.
A few of the top items that are widely unaccepted (though there are exceptions) are paper coffee cups and frozen food boxes."
Can plastic bags be recycled? Milk cartons? Pizza boxes? Styrofoam?
Plastic bags: generally, NO.
"Most grocery and retail stores have a bin for plastic bags near the entrance, which is the appropriate avenue for recycling plastic bags. In most cases, plastic bags are not accepted through curbside recycling programs. Plastic bags get tangled in processing equipment and can cause an entire MRF to shut down. Workers then have to climb into the machinery to cut out the bags, which not only an efficiency issue, but more importantly a safety issue."
Plastic bags also tend to get caught in machinery and slow down the entire process.
Juice Cartons: sometimes (depends on where you live).
"Carton recycling varies widely. Some communities in Michigan recycle them and opportunities are growing, but it is important to review your local program before including them."
Wieland clairfied that in most areas of West Michigan, these are not yet accepted (along with juice boxes).
Pizza boxes: only if they are free of grease/cheese/etc.
"Pizza boxes are recyclable if they are clean. The primary issue with pizza box recycling is the grease and cheese that stick to the box. If the bottom of the box is dirty, you can cut off the top of the box and recycle the clean portion."
Styrofoam, actually called EPS: recyclable, but usually not through your standard recycling.
"Styrofoam, which is a brand name of a material called expanded polystyrene (EPS), is recyclable through the appropriate system. Many communities will host special collection events for EPS. Dart Container is a business in Michigan that provides EPS recycling opportunities across the State through the form of drop-off programs. Some office buildings contract for EPS recycling. Most curbside recycling programs do not include EPS as an acceptable material, but review acceptable materials before assuming that it is not."
If a glass container is not completely rinsed out is it not recyclable?
Not entirely. Do your best.
"It is important to clean your recyclables before placing them in the cart, but small amounts of residue will not cause glass or plastics to be non-recyclable. During the recycling/re-manufacturing process, glass and plastics are cleaned. If a half empty jar of spaghetti sauce is included in the recycling cart and is soaked into paper products, however, it can cause an issue with the recycling of paper."
Why should we recycle?
"Recycling is a great way to contribute to preserving our landfill space, support the local economy, and encourage a circular economy in Michigan. It is something that we can do and know we are making a difference! The average American generates over four pounds of recyclables, organics, and waste every day. This amounts to almost 1,600 pounds per year for a single individual. If one person increased their recycling efforts by 30% to help Michigan reach our goal, they could divert over 450 pounds of material from landfills each year! Every individual effort counts."
Recycling one ton of:
- Aluminum saves 95% energy usage and 40 barrels of oil
- Glass saves 50% energy usage and 5 gallons of oil
- Paper saves 60% energy usage, 7,000 gallons of water, 17 trees, and nine barrels of oil
- Plastic saves over 60% of energy usage and 16 barrels of oil
Lastly: do not nestle a metal can inside a cardboard box. Make sure unlike items are separated.
VERIFY: Resources
Hopefully, those questions helped clear up some of the general questions. Below you can find links to recycling guidelines for individual counties.
VERIFY: Sources
Katie Venechuck, DEQ Recycling and Waste Minimization Specialist in the West Michigan
Kristen Wieland, Kent County Department of Public Works