The Truth About Recycling Contamination (and How to Fix It at Home)
Recycling seems simple, until you realize half the stuff in the bin never actually gets recycled. Not because it’s the wrong material, but because it’s contaminated. One greasy pizza box or a bottle full of last week’s iced coffee can ruin an entire batch, sending perfectly good recyclables straight to the landfill.
The frustrating part is that most people don’t even know they’re doing it. Here’s the real deal on recycling contamination, and the small changes that make a huge difference.
Why Recycling Contamination Matters
Recycling centers don’t have the time (or budget) to scrub every jar and peel apart sticky cardboard. When items show up dirty or mixed with the wrong stuff, they get tossed. And that adds up, meaning more waste in landfills and more costs for everyone.
The good news is that most contamination is super easy to avoid once you know what causes it.
The Biggest Recycling Offenders
A few items cause almost all the trouble:
Food-soiled paper
Pizza boxes, donut boxes, and anything soaked in grease can’t go in the recycling bin. A little cheese is fine, but if it has oil stains across the whole thing, throw it in the trash.
Unrinsed containers
You don’t need to deep-clean your recycling, but a quick rinse makes a world of difference. Empty out the yogurt, swish some water in the pasta jar, and you’re good to go.
Plastic bags & bagged recycling
This one surprises people. Plastic grocery bags, trash bags, and those clean-out bags from moving gum up the equipment. And tossing all your recycling in one tied bag is a guaranteed “nope” from the sorting line.
Random “wish-cycling”
If you’ve ever held something up and thought, “Eh, it’s kind of plastic,” and tossed it in anyway, you’re not alone. But things like hangers, cords, toys, and takeout utensils do more harm than good.
How to Fix Recycling Contamination at Home
You don’t need a complicated system or three different bins. Just a few tiny habits clean things up fast:
Give containers a quick rinse.
This takes seconds and dramatically ups your recycling success rate.
Break down cardboard boxes.
This keeps everything cleaner and leaves more room in the bin.
Learn your local rules.
Every city has slightly different do’s and don’ts. (And if you’re in V’s service area, we make it easy.)
Stop the “wish-cycling.”
If you’re unsure, toss it or look it up before your next bin load.
Keep plastic bags out of curbside bins.
If you want to recycle them, most grocery stores have designated drop-offs.
V’s Makes Recycling Easier
Whether you’re recycling weekly, purging your garage, or doing a full-house cleanout, V’s Waste Services handles the hard stuff. Our team keeps waste streams clean, collected, and out of your way, so your recycling efforts actually count. Contact us at (616) 229-1098 or [email protected].