After making sure you always sort your recyclables the last thing you want to see is it going to the landfill, but unfortunately it can happen. Most municipalities consider the entire contents of a recycling container contaminated if garbage is found mixed in, which means all of it goes to the landfill. Not good! Now, because of this we need to find ways to make sure people are sorting their recyclables properly!
One way that I’ve always suggested is to place your waste container as the first or most prominent in your station. So if you have for an example a Waste, Paper and Plastic station or a Waste, Paper, Plastic and Organics station put the Waste on the left or the right, were it feels most natural for those using it. Although it may seem that placing the waste on the left would be the “first” location, oftentimes the right actually serves as the first spot in a recycling station. This way people who won’t take the time to sort recyclables will still likely throw everything in the most prominent container (which will be waste) and won’t contaminate your recycling stream. It’s a simple idea but I have found that it can make a big difference!
So if you have a Smart Sort, Watch Watcher, Billi Box or any other recycling station, why not give this new found technique a try?
From The Recycling Experts
By Ted Boothe
