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Ninety percent of Tucsonans regularly push their blue recycling bins out to the street for weekly pickup, according to a survey from the City of Tucson, but 20 percent of the material put into those barrels is not actually recyclable.
Food, yard waste and dirty diapers are common contaminants that can ruin a truckload of recyclables.
While plastic bags are recyclable, they should not be put in the blue bins, said Sherri Ludlam, a scientist with the city’s environmental services department.
"Your dry cleaning bags, bread bags, salad bags, all of those things are considered plastic film and they can go in the recycling programs locally that are run through the grocery stores," she said.
Many shops around town run those programs and Ludlam recommends checking with your grocery store.
And what about plastic containers or glass jars?
Those do belong in household recycling bins. Don’t worry about using a sink full of water to scrub them spotless, Ludlam said they can go in as they’re relatively clean.
"If it’s something like hummus or peanut butter and you happen to have a paper towel that’s about to go into your trash, give it a good swipe out before you recycle it," she said.
"But we would prefer, not a half full jar."
Food, after all, is one of the main contaminants the city is trying to avoid.
For more information about what can or cannot be recycled, visit the City of Tucson's website
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