What is recycling contamination?

Recycling contamination consists of both non-recyclable items and recyclable items that are dirty or unsuitable for a particular recycling stream. Common contaminants that cause problems in Oregon’s recycling programs include plastic bags, film plastics, liquids, food, soiled packaging, plastic clamshells, garden hoses, wire hangers, textiles, diapers, electronics, and batteries. Some of these materials can be recycled separately, but they cause significant problems when mixed with other recyclables in commingled collection systems.

Food, liquids, oil, or hazardous chemicals can contaminate paper and other materials in recycling bins, making whole batches of materials compressed in recycling trucks unusable. Once recyclables arrive at a material recovery facility, or MRF, trained sorters hand-pick most contaminants from piles of recyclables, but many contaminants can slip through the sorting process, such as clamshells, plastic bags, and food-soiled items, among others. Materials like plastic bags and garden hoses can also damage or get stuck in the mechanical equipment that separates different types of recyclables. Contaminants create health and safety hazards for the people working in these facilities.