You might be recycling wrong, here’s why
The City of Chattanooga collected more than 5,000 tons of recyclables last year — much of which was contaminated by customers.
By Mary Helen Montgomery
*This is part one of a four-part series about recycling in Chattanooga.
The City of Chattanooga collects recyclables through its curbside program, as well as at its five recycle centers. Despite some residents’ enthusiasm for recycling, many people put items in their curbside bins that contaminate the stream or damage the machinery at the facility where materials are processed.
Fast facts
About half of Chattanooga’s households participate in curbside recycling (39,595 households enrolled)
There are common misconceptions about what you can put in your bin
An audit conducted last year revealed 30% contamination in one truck
Common mistakes to avoid
Here are the biggest mistakes people make with curbside recycling:
Glass is NOT accepted in the curbside bin; it damages machinery and is a safety hazard for workers at the facility. If you would like to recycle glass, please take it to one of the city’s recycling facilities.
Oversized plastic items are NOT accepted (laundry hampers, large toys, etc.)
Do not bag recyclables, instead leave them loose in the bin. Bags can damage the sorting machinery.
Please clean and replace lids on your recyclables.
Please break down cardboard boxes.
Wood is NOT accepted; please visit the Wood Recycling Center.
In May 2021, the city conducted an audit to learn more about how much contamination there is in the recycling stream. According to Roshonda Woods, the solid waste manager for the City of Chattanooga, one of the trucks that was audited was 30% contaminated and contained materials such as food waste, a garden hose, and a plastic hamper.
“It had just flat out garbage in it,” Woods said.
In fact, some residents do knowingly use their recycling bins as an extra garbage can, but most of the contamination is caused by a lack of awareness of the guidelines.
What you can recycle
Here’s a list of what you’re allowed to put in your curbside bin. Remember, glass is only accepted at the recycling centers.
Aluminum and steel cans
Mixed paper, newspaper, and magazines
Flattened cardboard boxes
Paper containers and cups
Plastics 1-7 (household plastics containing a recycling symbol)
Food and beverage cartons, such as paper milk cartons
Where things get complicated
Just because you’re allowed to put something in your bin, doesn’t necessarily mean it will ultimately be recycled — that is especially true when it comes to certain types of plastics. Chattamatters will take a closer look at plastics in another part of our series on recycling. Stay tuned!