Why you shouldn't crush cans and containers before recycling them
A large pile of plastic bottles and cans collected on a street corner in downtown Manhattan, New York. (Photo By Epics/Getty Images) (Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Though it may save space, trash haulers are asking Twin Cities residents not to crush containers before recycling them.
Why should you not crush containers?
Crushing or flattening containers can make it difficult for workers using modern equipment to make sure the recycled item ends up in the right spot.
Recyclables are often sorted by shape, meaning that aluminum cans, milk jugs and juice cartons are more likely to be properly recycled if they retain their original dimensions.
A flattened aluminum can, for example, would be harder for a machine to recognize because of its smaller total surface area. The crushed can could then end up mixed in with other recycling materials, contaminating them in the process.
The exception would be cardboard boxes, which should be flattened before being recycled.
How to prepare recyclables
Trash haulers ask that residents take these steps with their recyclables ahead of pickup day.
- Leave items loose in the recycling bin or cart. Do not place them in a plastic bag, as they jam sorting machines.
- Put the caps on containers.
- Remove pumps from spray bottles.
- Rinse containers out.
- Make sure papers are dry.
- Remove any food residue.
What not to put in recycling bins
Residents who are unsure of what can and can't be recycled are asked to remember the phrase, "When in doubt, throw it out" to avoid "wish-cycling". Mixing in the wrong items could contaminate other recycled materials and reduce the overall benefit of recycling.
The following items should not be placed in the recycling bin.
- Plastic bags
- Styrofoam
- Black plastic bottles and containers
- Plastic film, including bubble wrap
- Scrap metal such as pipes, wire hangers, or pots and pans
- Diapers
- Electronics
- Paper cups, straws and utensils
- Dishes, vases and mirrors
- Batteries
- Fuel and propane tanks
- Shredded, wrapping and tissue paper
- Christmas lights, ropes, hoses, or chains that could tang sorting equipment
- Personal protective equipment
- Syringes and needles
- Hazardous products and containers that held them, such as paint, used oil and antifreeze
A guide to what can be recycled in Ramsey County can be found here, while Hennepin County recycling guidelines can be found here.
Some items must be recycled at specified locations, such as authorized recycling centers or universal waste haulers.