Tip: When in Doubt, Keep It Out!

When a recycling bin is filled with a certain percentage of contamination, recycling companies are no longer able to use that load to make new items. The companies that buy our recycling will reject an entire bin if it’s too contaminated. The only option left for Lake County is to dump that bin into our landfill.

Contamination doesn’t always mean dirty items, though; it can also mean the wrong kinds of items. Here are some examples of contamination:

• Grease on pizza boxes

• Leftover liquids in plastic bottles

• Metal lids in the Glass bin

• Steel cans in the Aluminum bin

• Cardboard in the Mixed Paper bin

• Any unmarked or #3-7 plastic in the Plastic bin

• Windows, mirrors, or other non-bottle/jar shaped glass in the Glass bin

• Diapers, needles, or styrofoam in any bin (these items are not recyclable in Lake County)

You get the point! Tossing in an item that you hope can be recycled without knowing for sure is called wish-cycling. While the intent is good, wish-cycling results in valuable recyclables getting dumped into the landfill. In some communities, entire recycling programs have been eliminated due to these high contamination issues.

Please check our Recycling in Lake County page for more information on how to recycle with care, or ask a member of the Recycling Team at the Lake County Landfill & Recycling Center. And remember: when in doubt, keep it out!