Take a look around your home. There’s a good chance you’ll find a few things you no longer need. But tossing something that still looks usable into the trash can feel wrong. You might be tempted to recycle it just to avoid the guilt. Unfortunately, tossing non-recyclable items into the bin with good intentions, known as wish-cycling, can do more harm than good. Items like garden hoses, tangled string lights, and old electronics often cause problems at recycling facilities by clogging machinery or delaying processing. Instead, if the items are in decent condition, consider donating them to a local charity or secondhand store.
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Learn MoreRecycling 101
Don’t Be a “Wish- cycler”
Don’t Recycle Anything Smaller Than a Credit Card
Trying to recycle every little item might seem helpful, but small pieces like plastic caps, shredded paper, and can tabs can jam machinery at recycling facilities. A good rule of thumb is the “credit card test”: if it’s smaller than a credit card, it should go in the trash.
Keep Recyclables Loose, Never Bag Them
Recyclables should always be placed loosely in your bin. Bagged recyclables often can’t be processed properly and may be thrown out altogether. The only exception is shredded paper, which should be placed in a paper bag to keep it contained.
Empty, Clean, and Dry, Always
Food and drink containers make up a large portion of household recycling. But if they’re not rinsed out, they can contaminate everything else in the bin. One dirty peanut butter jar or ketchup bottle can ruin an entire load. The golden rule? Recyclables must be empty, clean, and dry. When in doubt, throw it out.
✔ What You Can Recycle
- Paper Stick to clean, dry paper like office paper, newspapers, magazines, and mail. Avoid anything with mixed materials like bubble wrap mailers, sticky notes, or envelopes with plastic windows. Used coffee cups are also not accepted.
- Cardboard Clean cardboard from shipping boxes or food packaging is usually accepted. Flatten boxes before recycling. For pizza boxes, tear off and toss the greasy parts and recycle the clean sections.
- Plastic Bottles and Jugs These are typically recyclable if they’re empty, clean, and dry. A simple test: if you can poke your finger through the plastic easily, it doesn’t belong in the recycling bin. Avoid including soft plastics like grocery bags, wraps, and sandwich bags.
- Metal Cans and Clean Foil Aluminum soda cans, food cans, and clean, unsoiled aluminum foil are all recyclable. Be sure to rinse them out before recycling. Avoid small items like can tabs, bottle caps, and sharp objects like razor blades.
- Glass While Glass CANNOT be recycled at the curb, Gwinnett County has 13 drop-off locations around the County to deposit your glass into. Glass does not need to be sorted by color and lids do not need to be removed.
✖ What Not to Recycle
- Batteries or electronics
- Food or items contaminated with food
- Foam products
- Disposable utensils, napkins, paper plates, or paper towels
- Soft plastics like plastic wrap or sandwich bags
- Clothing or shoes
Give Your Bin the Sniff Test
If your recycling bin smells bad, it’s probably due to leftover food or dirty containers. A stinky bin can become a breeding ground for bacteria and attract pests. Rinse it out with water, scrub if needed, and let it dry thoroughly before using it again.
Reduce, Reuse, Then Recycle
Recycling is a great way to cut down on waste, but reducing and reusing are even more effective. Making small, consistent changes in your daily routine can greatly reduce your impact on the environment.
Try these simple ideas:
- Use reusable shopping bags
- Carry a refillable water bottle
- Pack lunches in reusable containers
- Plan meals to avoid food waste
- Reuse glass jars for storage or freezing food
- Donate or repair usable items instead of discarding them
Teaching the Next Generation
Creating sustainable habits early is key. Teaching children about recycling and waste reduction helps build a stronger, more environmentally conscious future.