How To Minimize Recycle Contamination

If your business recycles, you are most likely familiar with the term “contamination” and heard it many times. Yet do you understand how it affects your recycling program and how to minimize recycle contamination?

Contamination Overview

What is recycling contamination? Basically, it’s anything besides what you are particularly attempting to collect for recycling. As an example, if you are accumulating material x for recycling, anything aside from material x is a contaminant. Also recyclable materials, such as plastic and also other paper items, could act as contaminants if they are taken utilized in the wrong recycling container. For instance, if a person throws plastic into your paper waste stream, this would certainly be considered contamination and might have serious consequences for your recycling program, since there is a possibility that your paper would be rejected and sent to the land fill. The only time it is fine to mix recyclables with each other is when you have an agreement to do so with your recycling service provider like iSustain Recycling. 

Why Contamination Is Important

As we pointed out previously, contaminants can have serious unfavorable consequences for your recycling program. Right here are simply a few examples:

Material value decreasing — Contamination will decrease the quality of your recyclables, which in turn reduces their market value.
Inability to recycle – Because of the huge amount of contaminants, your recycling load may be not accepted by a recycling provider and sent out to the land fill.
Damaging of recycling equipment  — There is special equipment for particular sort of material. Some things like plastic film may damage the machinery if it is thrown into the incorrect recycling container.
Causing safety dangers for recycling workers — Some products should be gathered a certain way due to safety problems for reusing employees. For instance, glass or electronic waste can be an extremely dangerous impurity if it is included in the incorrect recycling container.

What You Can Do

The most effective means to avoid contamination in your recycling stream is to speak with your recycling company about what you could recycle as well as exactly how these materials must be sorted. Not every recycling company will certainly operate the same way and different provider might have different needs. Here are the steps our team at iSustain Recycling suggests you to take fist of all:

• Label containers
• Rinse the recyclables from any contaminants and  wipe them
• Educate your staff about the importance of accurate recyclables sorting
• Keep all waste and also reusing containers with each other

It is also quite important to find a professional waste management company to turn your recycling program in success.  iSustain Recycling knows how to do it while  increasing revenue and improving your reputation among customers and staff. Contact us today to improve your recycling program!