Recycle Right: Keep Bags, Batteries, and Biological Waste Out of the Bin

Doing your part to recycle helps keep valuable materials out of the landfill, but only when the right items go into the recycling bin. Three of the most common contaminants that cause big problems in the recycling process are plastic bags, batteries, and biological waste. Keeping these items out of your recycling rollout protects the entire system and ensures your efforts truly make a difference.

Plastic Bags and Film Plastic
Plastic bags, grocery sacks, and plastic film wrap tangle in the machinery at recycling facilities, causing equipment breakdowns and safety hazards. These items cannot be processed in curbside recycling. Instead, many grocery stores and retailers offer drop‑off bins specifically for bag and film recycling.

Batteries
Rechargeable and single‑use batteries pose a serious fire risk when they end up in recycling trucks or sorting equipment. Even small batteries can spark under pressure. Batteries should always be taken to designated household hazardous waste sites or approved drop‑off locations, not placed in curbside rollouts.

Biological Waste
Food scraps, yard waste, pet waste, and other organic material contaminate clean recyclables. Just one bin containing biological waste can cause an entire truckload—tons of potentially recyclable plastic, paper, and metal—to be rejected and sent to the landfill. Keeping your rollout clean, dry, and free of organic material is one of the simplest ways to protect the recycling stream.

One Bin Can Make a Big Difference
It only takes one contaminated recycling cart to contaminate an entire collection truck. That’s why recycling correctly is a shared responsibility. When residents recycle right, more materials make it to the recycling center and fewer end up in the landfill.

Together, we can keep Hickory’s recycling stream clean, efficient, and sustainable for years to come. Thanks for doing your part to recycle smart!

For more information about residential recycling in the City of Hickory and helpful tips for recycling right at home and in the office, visit the City of Hickory website, www.hickorync.gov/sanitation.