The Push to Keep Recycling Clean
When people think recycling The Three R’s come to mind – Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. The popular phrase now has another letter to accompany The Three R’s which is the letter C. The letter C stands for CLEAN. Due to industry changes regarding contamination of recycled items diligence to the CLEAN process prior to placing recyclable items into any recycling container is crucial. The suggested clean process on best recycling practices is Empty, Clean, and Dry.
Empty - Remove any remaining food or liquid contents before placing it in a recycling container.
Clean - Lightly rinse the recyclable item to remove any remaining residue.
Dry - Gently shake out excess water or let the recyclable item air dry before placing in a recycling container.
Items that are not properly disposed of are considered contaminated and are not recyclable. Any contaminated items ending up in the recycling containers then contaminate the entire container. Keep in mind the following items are
Non-Recyclable:
Diapers
Garden Hoses
Shoes
Clothing
Yard waste
Plastic bags
Aerosol Cans
Shredded Paper
Aluminum Foil
Batteries
Food Waste
Mirrors/Ceramics
Stickers
Address Labels
Styrofoam
Tissues
Paper Towels
Napkins
For additional information on recycling in Newton County, please contact recycling@newtoncounty.in.gov
For a PDF copy of this document PLEASE CLICK HERE.