Plastic contaminates the final compost and prevents it from being used for agriculture and should never go in the green cart.
Dog waste bags and garbage bags are not organics unless they are certified compostable, paper or newspaper.
Food must be removed from plastic containers before placing in the cart.
Overfilled or heavy carts
Carts must not be overfilled. Overweight carts can break or even fall into the truck during automated lifting and materials can blow around if carts are overfilled.
Incorrect materials inside blue recycling carts
Recycling should not be bagged and all materials should be loose in the blue cart, except for bundled stretchy plastic and shredded paper.
Multi-material items are garbage (e.g. bubble-wrap/paper shipping envelopes, metal/cardboard coffee tins, mixed-material toys or cutlery). These cannot be separated at sorting facilities and should be placed in the garbage.
Polystyrene (StyrofoamTM) packaging should not be in your blue cart as it easily breaks apart and causes contamination. Polystyrene foam can be brought to the Recycle Depot.
Small plastic lids and other tiny plastic items are garbage. These are too small and light for sorting equipment.
Recycling not prepared properly
Recyclable containers must be empty.
Food should be rinsed out before recycling (e.g., no berries left in clamshells, no chips left inside bags).
Coffee and soft drink cups placed in the green cart are a common mistake. Place empty, clean cups in the blue cart, and lids and plastic straws go in the garbage.
Loose, stretchy plastic needs to be bundled together (e.g. grocery bags and toilet paper overwrap). These must be bundled and tied into one bag.
Electronics & household hazardous waste
These items pose safety risks to collection crews and staff at sorting facilities. They may cause fires, get tangled in equipment, or stop sorting lines.
You can bring electronics and household hazardous waste to the Recycle Depot for safe disposal.