Wishcycling—the act of placing non-recyclable items into recycling bins with the hope they can be recycled—poses significant challenges to effective waste management. This well-intentioned practice often leads to contamination, rendering entire batches of recyclables unsuitable for processing and landfill diversion.
Your residents are trying their best, but without the right tools, even the best intentions will go awry. That’s why we built education, communication, and self-service tools for use by municipalities and private haulers alike.
Understanding common recycling mistakes, namely what can be recycled, helps improve the efficiency of recycling programs and reduces waste contamination.
Commonly Wishcycled Materials:
- Plastic Bags and Films: Despite their widespread use, plastic bags and films are not typically accepted in curbside recycling programs because they can entangle machinery at recycling facilities. Many people assume these are recyclable, leading to one of the most common recycling mistakes. Does your community have another option for these kinds of soft plastics? Some stores accept bags back for recycling!
- Styrofoam Products: Items made from polystyrene foam, such as disposable coffee cups and packaging materials, are often mistakenly placed in recycling bins. However, due to their low density and food contamination issues, they are rarely recyclable through standard programs—what about yours?
- Greasy Pizza Boxes: While cardboard is generally recyclable, food residue like grease can contaminate this in-demand material. Only clean portions of pizza boxes should be recycled; soiled sections belong in the trash or compost. Do your residents know the difference?
- Shredded Paper: The small size of shredded paper pieces makes them difficult to sort and process, leading many recycling programs to exclude them. How can a wishcycler know what can be recycled and what can’t in your area?
- Broken Glass: Not all glass is created equal. Ceramics, mirrors, and certain types of glassware have different melting points and compositions than container glass, making them unsuitable for standard recycling streams. Broken glass can also pose safety hazards to workers, a perfect example of what not to put in recycling bins that often is.
Sources: US EPA
Preventing Wishcycling:
- Make it easy to know what goes where – Give your community a digital recycling tool like the Waste Wizard and they’ll have the information they need at their fingertips to make confident recycling choices and avoid common mistakes on what can be recycled. The tool also provides feedback on the most searched items to help you fine-tune your education programs, keeping items that can’t be recycled out of the system.
- Interactive learning – A great way to help residents recycle right is with the Routeware Waste Sorting Game. It’s a fun way for people of all ages to test their knowledge and pick up some recycling tips on what to, and what NOT to, put in recycling bins. Additionally, you can see which materials cause the most confusion to help you further focus your educational programs.
- Informed communities contribute more – When everyone understands the big-picture of recycling in their community, they know how to play their role. Digital waste management apps, like the Mobile App from Routeware, allow you to educate residents about the impact of their decisions. Along with reminders and schedule updates, the app allows you to deliver quick tidbits that help take the guesswork out of recycling.
- Reward recyclers with informed feedback – The right digital tools give you the ability to better inform and engage residents. As the community catches on to positive recycling behavior, the feedback you provide will empower them to continue making wise choices. After all, wishcyclers want their actions to make a difference. With the right data and an increasingly successful program, you can show them how they’re contributing to a healthy community and environment.
- Allow hassle-free bookings & service requests: Lastly, wishcycling adjacent issues are illegal dumping and hazardous improper disposal. Once our educational tools have taught your community how to dispose of an item, let our waste management customer portal help people successfully dispose of it by allowing them book appointments at drop-off events – ideal for household hazardous waste and electronics – and schedule bulky item pick-up and special service requests.
It’s often said that by being mindful of what we place in our recycling bins and staying informed about proper recycling practices, we can collectively improve the effectiveness of recycling programs and reduce the environmental impact of waste. This is true.
But only if you have the right tools.
Fill out our Get Started form today to learn how our digital education, scheduling, and notification tools can help your community.
