{"id":8222,"date":"2024-07-29T12:27:00","date_gmt":"2024-07-29T19:27:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/routeware.com\/blog\/what-is-wishcycling-how-to-prevent\/"},"modified":"2025-05-09T09:35:25","modified_gmt":"2025-05-09T16:35:25","slug":"what-is-wishcycling-how-to-prevent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/routeware.com\/en_gb\/blog\/what-is-wishcycling-how-to-prevent\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Wishcycling, and How Do You Prevent It?"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s Time to Toss Wishcycling<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Congratulations! With good planning, communication, and promotion you\u2019ve cultivated a community of willing and enthusiastic recyclers<\/a> through intuitive recycling education<\/a>. They\u2019re diligently filling their bins with paper, plastic, cans, bottles, and everything that looks like it should be recyclable. Every day, full trucks are rumbling into the recycling center. It\u2019s a good feeling.<\/p>\n

But here\u2019s the catch: 76% of recyclables are lost at the household level.<\/a> Despite everyone\u2019s best intentions, it can be disheartening to know that a substantial amount of material is diverted from recycling to the landfill. Ironically, contamination is often caused by the same people who strive to be responsible recyclers \u2013 the wishcyclers.<\/p>\n

What is wishcycling?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Quite simply, it\u2019s when people throw non-recyclables into the recycling bin, not out of malice, but rather because they don\u2019t know what materials are or aren\u2019t recyclable.<\/p>\n

Make a wish and toss it in<\/strong><\/h3>\n

It happens to the best of us. Standing over the bins, holding an empty package, trying to discern whether it should be recycled or trashed. It certainly feels better to believe it could be recycled. But without that clear municipal guideline handy, many people make a wish and toss it into recycling. Surely someone at the other end will know what to do with this mystery package.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s wishcycling. It\u2019s not malicious. In fact, it\u2019s hopeful \u2013 but unfortunately, it\u2019s not helpful. Most residents want to do the right thing, but wishcycling undermines your recycling program and has real costs. Wishcycled materials end up causing more harm than good, causing the need for more sorting and screening after pickup, eliminating some of the efficiency that\u2019s core to the appeal of recycling to begin with.<\/p>\n

The real cost of wishcycling<\/strong><\/h3>\n

As recently as 10 years ago, recycling contamination rates were calculated around seven percent. Now, nearly 25 percent of the items<\/a> we try to recycle are too contaminated to go anywhere but the landfill, and wishcycling is a key factor in this number continuing to rise.<\/p>\n

Studies show that reducing contamination by just one percentage point can save municipalities up to 90 cents per household<\/a> each year.<\/p>\n

If your community could stem wishcycling behavior and clean up contamination by 10 percentage points, what could you accomplish with the potential result of $9 per household? More importantly, what would it mean for the sustainability of your recycling program, your community, and the global environment?<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s recycling education software tools<\/a> fulfill resident needs for searchable \u201cwhat goes where\u201d information on the fly, and they represent an investment of significantly less time and money<\/a> than municipal solid waste tools built in-house \u2013 not to mention the positive benefits for the community and the environment.<\/p>\n

Digital tools make wishes come true<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Your residents want to do the right thing. Now it\u2019s easy to help them recycle confidently and accurately. Instead of expecting them to memorize long lists of materials or dig out an annual brochure, provide them with an easy-to-use tool they can carry in their pocket. A custom recycling app<\/a> can answer their questions quickly and eliminate the guesswork. Digital tools can be the cornerstone of your recycling program and a key to addressing wishcycling behavior. Let\u2019s take a look at how this works:<\/p>\n