Common Mistakes People Make When Recycling (2024)

Recycling isn’t always black and white. With Earth Day coming up on Saturday, April 22, we could all use a “recycling refresher” to remind us what is and is not recyclable, and how to make the greatest impact inour world, not just on Earth Day, but every day! Here is a quick list of common mistakes that people make when recycling.

Common Recycling Mistakes

Thinking plastic caps are not recyclable. Note: Some recycling centers still cannot take plastic caps, and in fact, they can cause problems with their recycling equipment. Check with your local recycler to see what is available in your area.
Throwing dirty cardboard and paper in with clean recycling. It’s true, dirty or greasy cardboard or paper can ruin a whole batch.
You don’t recycle glossy paper. Yes, magazines can be recycled! Throw them in with the other paper recycling.
Not sorting properly. Most office waste can be recycled, but if it does not get sorted properly, it ends up in the trash. Take the extra effort to sort recycling from trash at work, too.
Including plastic bags with your recycling. Rarely do recycling companies accept those pesky plastic bags. The best options are to choose paper instead of plastic, bring your own bag to the store, or reuse the plastic bags.
Not taking advantage of your local recycling program. Curbside programs and single stream recycling make recycling convenient for residents and often businesses too. Don’t forget to put it in recycling instead of the trash!
Not doing your recycling homework. Know what your local recycling center accepts and does not accept so you are not causing extra work or missing an opportunity to save something from going to the landfill.
Including shredded paper with the recycling. Shredded paper is hard to recycle and is best used for composting, art projects, or animal bedding.
Including frozen food boxes in the recycling. The waxy coating on many frozen food boxes make them difficult to recycle, so throw them in the trash.
Businesses not recycling or investing in equipment for efficiencies.Surprisingly, there are still many businesses who are not recycling and this adds up in the trash quickly. Equipment such as cardboard balers could clean up a stock room, reduce waste cost, and help recyclables be properly re-used instead of wasted.

Find out more interesting facts and common mistakes people make when recycling in the infographic below. If you are interested in learning more about Harmony Enterprises’ balers and compactors for managing your waste and recycling, contact us here or call us at (507) 886-6666.