Single Stream Recycling is easy and convenient, which has helped drive increased participation, volume and landfill diversion rates. That convenience comes at a cost, however, as recycled materials are often contaminated. Consumers are sometimes confused about what is accepted at recycling facilities, and this is causing the recycling industry to experience high contamination rates.

What does that mean? Recycling contamination is when incorrect items or materials are put in the system or when the correct materials are prepared the wrong way (for example, food residue in containers, recyclables in plastic bags). In the end, contaminated recycling often gets rejected and sent to a landfill, resulting in a wasted recycling effort altogether. Nauset Disposal is dedicated to educating our customers on what can be recycled, preparation of items before they go into the bin, and what to do with items that cannot go in the bin, so we can be sure the materials we collect ARE recycled.

Here’s a list of the 5 most common contaminants for reference.