15 Items You Should Never Put in Your Recycling Cart 🌍♻️

iBuee (ibuée)
Jul 22
3 min read

Updated: Jul 24

Putting the wrong items in your curbside recycling cart—often called wish-cycling—jams equipment, contaminates good material, drives up costs, and ultimately sends more waste to landfills. Below are fifteen common “No-Nos,” why they’re problematic, and easy sustainable alternatives that protect clean water, conserve energy, and support a greener planet.

Three children joyfully carry a green recycling bin filled with plastic bottles in a sunny park. Trees and grass visible in the background.

1. Plastic Bags & Film

Thin bags, bubble-wrap and plastic wrap gum up sorting machinery and shut down entire lines

Sustainable swap: bring reusable cloth totes; return bags to in-store drop-offs.

2. Greasy Pizza Boxes, Food, Food-Soiled Paper or Items Covered in Food

Oil and cheese soak into cardboard fibers and can’t be separated during pulping. The recycling facility does not clean recyclable items. Make sure your items are empty, clean and dry before placing in your recycle cart.

Try this: Compost the greasy base and recycle the clean top.

3. Plastic Utensils, Straws & Coffee Cups

Mixed plastics and paper-plastic laminates aren’t accepted in most municipal programs.

Upgrade: carry a stainless spork and insulated mug.

4. Flexible “Chip” & Juice Pouches

Multi-layer foil/plastic pouches can’t be separated for material recovery.

Alternative: choose snacks in recyclable #1 or #2 rigid containers.

5. Disposable Diapers & Medical Sharps

Besides obvious hygiene hazards, these items contaminate whole loads.

Action: trash diapers; take sharps to pharmacy or HHW (household hazardous-waste) drop-offs.

6. Household Batteries & Electronics

Lithium batteries spark fires on conveyor belts; electronics contain heavy metals.

Solution: recycle at e-waste or retail take-back events.

7. Hazardous Chemicals & Paints

Cleaners, pesticides, and oil-based paints are considered HHW and need special handling.

Tip: use eco-certified cleaners; drop leftovers at county HHW days.

8. CFL & Fluorescent Bulbs

These bulbs contain mercury and shatter easily, endangering workers and contaminating glass streams.

Best Practice: return to home-improvement store recycling kiosks.

9. Garden Hoses, Cords & Tanglers

Hoses, cables and holiday lights twist around screens, forcing costly shutdowns.

Fix: donate working hoses or dispose in trash.

10. Styrofoam & Packing Peanuts

Expanded polystyrene is 95 % air, breaks into micro-plastic, and lacks curbside markets.

Greener option: seek mail-back foam recyclers or request paper cushioning.

11. Shredded Paper

Shredded paper pieces are too small to be effectively collected at the recycling facility. The shredded paper must be placed in clear bags that are tied.

Fix: Bring you paper to be shredded at city designated facility or events.

12. Yard Waste

Yard waste is not recyclable and can contaminate other materials..

Fix: place in a brown paper bag and add to your yard trimmings.

13. Coffee Cups

Coffee cups are classified as mixed materials and cannot be recycled because of the plastic lining inside them.

Fix: dispose in trash.

14. Clothing

Clothing and footwear shoes are not allowed in the recycling bin..

Fix: donate the clothes and shoes or bring to city recycling event.

15. Pape Towels or Napkins

Paper towels and napkins are not recyclable.

Fix: dispose in trash.

Why Proper Sorting Matters

Water Protection: Fewer contaminants means less runoff from landfills, keeping rivers and oceans cleaner for wildlife and communities committed to clean water goals.
Climate Benefits: Recycling only what works saves energy—cutting greenhouse-gas emissions tied to virgin material extraction.
Household Savings: Cities charge contamination fees; sorting correctly keeps local recycling programs affordable and robust.
Prevents Contamination: Non-recyclables muddy entire loads, sending them to landfill instead of being repurposed.
Protects Workers & Equipment: Tangling or hazardous items force shutdowns, repairs, and put workers at risk.
Reduces Resource Waste: Misplaced items reduce the recovery of materials, undermining efforts in reducing plastic and saving clean water.

Easy Steps Toward a #GreenEarth Recycling

Remember "Empty. Clean. Dry." before recycling containers
Know your local list—download your hauler’s app.
Don't bag recyclables! Loose is the way to go
Shrink waste upstream: buy in bulk, choose refill stations, and favor metal or glass over single-use plastics.
If unsure, discard it—or seek more information! Consult your local recycling guidelines or utilize resources such as Earth911 or your city's website.

Championing Clean Water & Plastic Reduction

Think of recycling as the first step in a sustainable lifestyle. Avoiding pollution, reducing plastic waste, and properly sorting waste helps safeguard clean water, promotes water saving, and ensures we’re not unwittingly harming natural ecosystems. Choosing to recycle correctly shows a commitment to a clean earth, a green life, and a smarter, more thoughtful planet.