What are some common mistakes that people make when recycling?
• Mistake #1—Placing glass bottles and jars into the commingled (mixed) recycling cart. Any resulting broken glass contaminates paper products and makes them difficult to process. • Mistake #2—Placing plastic bags in curbside recycling containers. Plastic bags tend to get tangled up in sorting equipment and cause costly shutdowns and repairs. • Mistake #3—Placing materials with food residue in the recycling cart. For example, pizza boxes should be free of large amounts of grease and cheese. • Mistake #4—Placing frozen food cartons in the recycling cart. The boxes are specially coated to prevent moisture from entering the carton. The coating makes the paper-pulping process difficult. WHEN IN DOUBT, KEEP IT OUT! It is actually better to keep materials out of the recycling cart if you are unsure about whether or not they are recyclable, than to put them in and hope for the best. If you have any questions about what is or is not recyclable, please call the Beaverton’s Solid Waste and Recyc
