About 30 percent of all household materials recycled in Florida are actually not recyclable at curbside When a load of recycled goods contains even a small amount of items not meant to be recycled, it is contaminated. A contaminated load can shut down operations of an entire processing facility and ruin the “good” recyclable material.
Items like plastic bags, bubble wrap, greasy pizza boxes. packing peanuts, etc can shut down the machinery at the recycling centers..
See FloridaRecycles.org, for details.
RED Recycling bins should contain only:
Brown paper bags
Catalogs
Corrugated cardboard boxes (must be broken down and no more than 2’x3’)
Junk mail (including window envelopes)
Magazines, phone books
Newspapers and advertisements
Empty pizza boxes
Writing and office paper
Shredded paper placed in paper/opaque plastic bags
Paperboard (cereal boxes, soda cartons, tissue boxes)
BLUE Recycling Bins should contain only:
Empty aerosol cans
Aluminum cans, foil and trays
Glass bottles and jars (all colors)
Milk and juice boxes made from wax-coated paper
Plastics with symbols #1-5, or 7
Steel cans (lids if separated)
Please refer to the Sarasota County HOW TO Guide for Waste Pickup and Disposal
By eliminating the 30 percent of contaminated materials in curbside recycling bins, Floridians could save up to $100 million in recycling costs in one year.
FloridaRecycles.org, a website that serves as the hub for the program, housing informational messaging and resources for recycling coordinators across Florida to use in their own counties.
Q: Should I put plastic bags in my curbside recycling bin?
A: No. Plastic bags are a major contamination problem at recycling centers, clogging machinery and shutting down operations for hours at a time. Instead, recycle your plastic bags in designated bins at your local retail store!
Q: What CAN I recycle?
A: Focus on 1) aluminum and steel cans, 2) plastic bottles and jugs, and 3) paper and cardboard. Make sure cans, bottles and jugs, and cardboard boxes are clean and dry before going into your curbside recycling bin.
Q: Why does recycling matter?
A: By eliminating the 30 percent of contaminated materials in curbside recycling bins, we could save $100 million in recycling costs in one year. Tax dollars will be saved, the environment can be preserved for future generations, and scarce natural resources can be stretched to last longer.
Q: Does it even matter if I recycle? Other people will probably continue to contaminate it anyway.
A: Recycling is the one thing we as individuals can control, and by recycling smarter, Floridians can make a big difference. In fact, by eliminating the 30 percent of contaminated materials in curbside recycling bins, we could save $100 million in recycling costs in one year, and it all starts at the individual level.