The Danger of “Wishcycling”

Wishcycling is the act of putting items we think are recyclable into the recycle bin when in fact it’s not recyclable. This happens a lot and to the best of us with good intentions. That little foil top to the yogurt container? It’s trash because it’s not pure aluminum. That plastic condiment bottle or peanut butter jar with the impossibly stuck on food? If you are set against wasting water to clean it out, it’s trash too.

Waste Management has put together an excellent video to demonstrate how contaminated items damage our recycling efforts. Read the full article by Susan Robinson, Waste Management.

The Problems Caused By “Wishcycling“

Many wishcyclers are under the impression that if there are any items that are non-recyclable, the recycling center will be able to spot the error and sort it out. But, that’s not the case unfortunately. Wishcycling is a harmful practice and needs to be stopped

The items in your recycling bin are typically sorted by machines at recycling centers, not people. These complex machines are designed to separate plastics, paper, aluminum, and other recyclables. If something is thrown into your bin that shouldn’t be there, it could end up jamming the machine at the recycling center. Even something as small as a bottle cap could seriously damage these machines, which means your local recycling center could lose time and money every time you decide to wishcycle. (Mina Sinai, “Everything you need to know about wishcycling”, recyclenation.com, 29 August 2017)

According to Recology, there are 10 common recycling contaminants they see in our recycle carts every week.

• Plastic Bags – these get tangled in machinery and can’t be effectively recycled. Visit plasticfilmrecycling.com to find drop-off locations.
• Plastic Wrap – Plastic that does not hold its shape (frozen food packaging, chip bags, wrapping around toilet paper) can not be recycled. Put these in your trash.
• Styrofoam – this material breaks into tiny particles. Drop this off at The Recology Store.
• Liquids – A few drops are OK but more will cause paper to mold and render it non-recyclable. Give containers a few good taps to rid them of water before tossing them into mixed recycling.
• Bagged Recycling – Keep your recycling loose in your cart. Bags of recycling can’t be processed and often is sent directly to the landfill.
• Pizza Boxes and Waxed Cardboard – Grease and wax are not good candidates for paper recycling. Place these in your compost cart.
• Food Waste – food waste negatively impacts material recyclability. Manufacturers will reject recycled materials that smell of mold or rot. Place food in your compost cart.
• Yard Waste – Yard waste negatively impacts material recyclability. Put these items in your yard waste bin.
• Electronics or E-Waste – Bring these to The Recology Store or other E-Cycler.
• Textiles – these also get caught in machinery at the recycling center. Drop them off at The Recology Store.

And what about those caps and lids?

Put empty, clean and dry glass jars into the recycle bin without caps or lids. Recology will accept large metal lids that are over 3 inches in diameter. Unfortunately, if the cap or lid is less than 3 inches in diameter, it will damage the recycling machinery. Metal is valuable and some metal recyclers may pay you for a good collection of metal caps and lids. Read more about metal lids and bottle caps.

Plastic bottle caps can now stay on plastic bottles if tightly screwed on. Remember that the plastic bottle needs to be completely empty and as dry as possible. Historically caps were not included due to safety issues—if the caps are left on, they can often shoot off at high speeds when the bottles are crushed for transport. To get around this, it is recommend that consumers crush bottles prior to putting the cap back on.

How To Prevent “Wishcycling”

Talk about “wishcycling” mistakes with your family, neighbors and friends. It’s important to learn about what is and is not accepted at your local recycling center. Visit the Recology’s “What Goes Where” guide and tape up the poster somewhere in your kitchen. This will make it easier for you to remember what you should and should not toss in the recycling bin.