Stricter recycling rules went into effect May 6 and are being enforced to combat cart contamination. Waste Management, which provides refuse and recycling services for all Oak Park residential properties of five or fewer units, will stop emptying recycling carts that contain common contaminants such as plastic bags, soiled food containers and non-recyclables like Styrofoam, garden hoses and propane tanks.
Beginning May 6, warning stickers will be put on recycling carts that contain items that can’t be recycled. After a two-week warning period, haulers will not empty carts until the contaminants are removed by the resident – ideally by the next weekly collection cycle.
“Contaminants in recycling carts are making it increasingly difficult for haulers to offer the service as the market for the raw materials keeps getting smaller,” said Environmental Services Manager Cameron Hendricks, who oversees Oak Park’s refuse and recycling collection programs.
“People may think they are doing the right thing by tossing anything paper, plastic or metal into the recycling cart rather than the trash,” he said. “But unless we give some thought to what we are putting in the bin we may be creating big problems for commercial recyclers that could eventually be forced to reduce services or charge more.”
Hendricks said consumers tend to view recycling as a service, while hauling contractors see it is a business. So as overseas markets for raw recyclables have dried up, the tedious and dangerous task of removing contaminants like plastic bags are making it increasingly difficult and expensive for haulers to maintain a viable recycling business, he said.
By some estimates, as much as 25 percent of the recycling stream is contaminated by items that either must be removed by hand at a recycling center or diverted to landfills, the village said. Reports of communities across the country abandoning recycling all together are becoming increasingly common as markets for raw recycling materials have shrunk and processing costs have soared to achieve the low contamination levels now required by buyers of raw recyclables.
“Recycling right requires education and individual effort,” said Oak Park Sustainability Coordinator Mindy Agnew. “We have to make a conscious effort to be sure packaging and containers are not only recyclable, but also clean and dry before they go into the cart.
“Tossing in just one or two soiled or non-recyclable items is all it takes to contaminate a cart. Frankly, it is better to throw something into the trash bin when you are not sure than to risk ruining the entire contents of the recycling cart.”