Think you’re a recycling pro? You might be surprised! That item you’ve been tossing in the bin for years? It might actually belong somewhere else. And that recycling rule you heard 20 years ago? It might be outdated by now.
Even the most dedicated recyclers make mistakes when it comes to sorting recyclables, especially when local rules change or long-held assumptions turn out to be wrong. Here are a few items that commonly end up in the blue bin, but shouldn’t:
Dirty Containers
Leftover food or grease can ruin an entire load of recyclables. Make sure containers are empty and rinsed before tossing them in the blue-bin. If you can recognize what was once in or on the container, then it’s not clean enough to be recycled! The one exception is pizza boxes (a little grease & cheese are okay).
Containers with Plastic Linings
Most paper coffee cups and paper cartons for milk, juice, or ice cream have a thin plastic layer that makes them non-recyclable here in Vermont. Items should be just one material to go in blue-bin recycling. This is because at the Materials Recycling Facility, items are sorted and baled based on material type.
When in doubt, throw it out! Or, you can try the rip test with something like wrapping paper. Give it a slow rip, and if it tears cleanly then it’s good to be recycled in your blue-bin. If it stretches or you can see the plastic lining as you rip, then it should go in the trash.
Plastic Bags
Plastic bags (and other plastic films) should never go in your recycling bin! They are what we call “tanglers” in the recycling world because they get caught in machinery at recycling facilities, causing potential equipment damage, delayed operations, and safety hazards for workers.
Instead, make sure your recyclables are loose and unbagged in the recycling, and that plastic bags are disposed of in the trash or at a plastic bag and film drop-off bin (located at most grocery stores). Plastic bags placed in a designated bin will then be recycled into useful products like Trex composite decking. Check out the list of materials accepted in these collection bins.
Black Plastic
It may look recyclable, but black plastic is not recyclable in Vermont (among other places). This is because black plastic often can’t be sorted by recycling facility equipment, it contains additives that make it less appealing to plastic recyclers, and it is less marketable compared to clear plastic and other colors.
Instead, try to reduce and reuse by choosing products that aren’t packaged in black plastic whenever possible, or reusing black containers for storage, crafts, or organization. And if reducing and reusing isn’t an option, then dispose of black plastic in the trash.
Tiny Items (smaller than 2 by 2 inches)
Small caps, bread bag clips, and even some medicine bottles are too small to be captured during the recycling sorting process. Any item smaller than 2 by 2 inches will fall through the cracks of the machinery at the Materials Recycling Facility and become contamination in our glass recycling process. So, make sure those small items are thrown in the trash, or for those caps smaller than 2 by 2 inches, secure them back onto their container before putting them into your recycling.
Any Container with a Recycling Symbol
Unfortunately, that little chasing arrows triangle doesn’t always mean the item is recyclable. The symbol just indicates the type of plastic resin the item is made from, not that it is recyclable in your blue-bin. For example, black plastic, toothpaste tubes, and compostable plastics may all have a recycling symbol, but they’re not recyclable in Vermont. When in doubt, check our A-Z list rather than relying on the sometimes-misleading recycling symbol.
Sorting your recycling properly helps prevent contamination in the recycling stream, divert waste from Vermont’s only landfill, and ensure that more materials get a second life. Still unsure about something? Check our A-Z list!