If you’ve debated whether something is trash or recycling and ultimately tossed it in the recycling bin thinking, ‘surely that’s recyclable’ you might be a wishcycler. Wish-cycling, a term coined by Bill Keegan, refers to “the practice of tossing questionable items in the recycling bin, hoping they can somehow be recycled.” While it feels like you’re doing the right thing, wishcycling is actually pretty harmful. Wishcycling costs money, time, and resources because every time a rogue item finds its way into the sea of recyclable items, the whole system can grind to a halt. The previously clean batch of recycling items is now contaminated and all of it may have to be thrown out. The challenge of contaminated recyclables continues to grow but you can make a difference!

Click here to find out what our recycling program accepts and what it doesn’t. If you’re unsure, it’s actually better to put something into the trash than to toss it in the recyclable bin and contaminate the entire load.

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