See Recology's What Bin Tool Here.  

“Wishcycling” is the act of placing items in the recycling bin, hoping that they will get recycled, whether they can or not. This practice can be harmful because many of these items end up contaminating perfectly good recyclables and can potentially damage the equipment in recycling facilities or worse, cause harm to employees. Contaminating the waste stream with material that is not actually recyclable makes the sorting process more costly because it requires extra labor. Wishcycling also negatively affects an already fragile trading market. 

If you’re unsure whether certain items can be recycled, it’s best to find out using the What Bin Tool linked above or by calling us at 707-268-8680.  As a last resort, place your items in the trash if you aren't sure if they're recyclable.  At the end of the day, landfilling a little recycling is better than contaminating the recycling system.

Don't worry, you're not alone if you aren't sure if your item is recyclable.  A good example of this is the plastic bags that we keep receiving from recycling bins throughout Humboldt County.  Plastic bags can't be recycled through the curbside recycling system we use locally.  If you need to recycle plastic bags, please look for a plastic bag recycling station next time you visit your grocery store or large department store.

 See the short video below to learn more.