Contamination in Recycling

Contamination in recycling occurs when materials not meant to be recycled—such as plastic bags, food waste, or non-recyclable items—are mixed with recyclables. This can hinder the recycling process by causing issues at sorting facilities, lowering the quality of recycled materials, and increasing costs. Contaminated recyclables often have to be thrown away instead of processed, reducing overall recycling efficiency. To prevent this, it’s important to follow local recycling guidelines, clean items before recycling, and avoid including non-recyclable materials in the recycle bin.