Don't make these Christmas morning recycling mistakes
TAMPA, Fla. - It’s the most wonderful time of the year but for some recycling centers, it can be the most frustrating. That’s because many of us are throwing things in the blue bin that don’t belong there.
A bunch of holiday stuff you may assume is recyclable actually isn't. The folks from Hillsborough County’s recycling facility explained what’s recyclable and what’s not.
Everything from what kind of wrapping paper you’re using, to toy boxes with plastic on the front side will litter living room floors Christmas morning.
“There are a lot of items people assume are recyclable that actually aren’t,” said Hillsborough County Recycling Coordinator Travis Barnes. “Those items can actually jam up the equipment, endanger our staff, and ultimately ends up back into the landfill or waste energy facility, if we can’t recover it successfully.”
MORE: Tips for recycling wrapping paper after the holidays
Items like Christmas lights and plastic mailing bags are not recyclable and will cause costly and dangerous setbacks for recycling workers.
“They jam up our separation equipment and actually tangle up everything. We have to shut down the plant and send staff in there to manually remove those items,” Barnes explained.
That goes for plastic shopping bags, too. But perhaps the most surprising is wrapping paper.
Barnes says any paper that’s shiny, metallic, or foil cannot be recycled. The same goes for tissue paper.
Some items are a little more complicated. We showed Barnes a cardboard box with a cellophane window on the front and polystyrene inside.
“The Styrofoam would not be recyclable, and the plastic film cover would not be either. But the box itself would be. So you could take it out, or just discard the item,” he said. “You really should err on the side of throwing it in the garbage, so when in doubt, leave it out.”
Recycling can seem complicated and Barnes understands these types of specifics can stress people out. He says if you feel that way, don’t just give up on recycling. Keep it simple and just recycle your cans.
A little bit can go a long way.