The pandemic has put an emphasis on single use and disposable items these past months, and it shows in the local recycling stream.
"We are definitely seeing more single-use plastics than we were seeing before," said Kendra Kostelecky with Waste Management. "And there's some confusion, as masks ending up in there now. But most of our contamination are things that were contamination before the pandemic hit. So our biggest concerns are things like small electronics, phones, or those little one-pound propane gas cylinders that end up in the recycling bins.
Only the things on the lid of that recycling cart can actually go in the cart, same as before the pandemic. Trying to recycle things that don't belong only makes the whole process more difficult.
"People want to recycle, so they feel bad about putting an item they think can be recycled in their trash," Kostelecky said. "But often that item can't be processed. So it's really important to only put the things that belong in the cart. Otherwise, they're going to take a much longer path to get to the landfill and that just wastes more resources."
To highlight the importance of recycling the right way, Waste Management is promoting 100 days of recycling on their Facebook Page. They've come up with dozens of educational projects for families that focus on sustainability.
"These are things that are applicable now, that are applicable in the future," Kostelecky said. "And sustainability is a hot topic right now. We're seeing wildfires and hurricanes affecting our nation right now. Climate change is a real thing, and we're talking about things we can do to move ourselves in a better direction"
To visit the Facebook Page for 100 days of recycling, click here.
