There is a mountain of good intentions inside the recycling warehouse at Bend Garbage and Recycling. Newspapers, plastic bottles, tin cans, pizza boxes and magazines collected from local residents nearly reach the ceiling.

From an Earth-conscience perspective, it’s encouraging to see the recycling movement in full swing. However, it may be time for a refresher course on what can and can’t be recycled.

Although the majority of the materials collected from curbside bins are recyclable, it was surprising to learn that many items in the warehouse heap are not recyclable and can actually bog down the overall process. These materials are called contaminates.

In Central Oregon, the process is fairly simple. Recycle trucks pick up curbside materials in commingle bins. Loads are dumped at the recycling warehouse near Empire Avenue, where everything (nothing is sorted in Bend) is fed into a baler machine and squished into a 2,000-pound cube.

The cubes are then loaded onto flatbed trucks and shipped to a materials recovery facility in Portland. Once there, the thorough and complex process of sorting begins. Sorting is done by a combination of high-tech machinery including laser optics and powerful magnets, and good ‘ole fashioned human hands. Once sorted and all contaminates removed, recyclable materials such as cardboard, acceptable plastics and aluminum are purchased and shipped to various markets, such as paper mills and aluminum can manufacturers. Contaminates are sent to a landfill.

Breaking it Down

Plastic grocery bags and any plastic “film” materials, (i.e., Saran wrap or toilet paper packaging), are the number one contaminate, said Susan Baker, marketing manager for Bend Garbage and Recycling. Plastic film products can be recycled but because of the volume of materials and the machines that sort and process, plastic film gets caught in gears and screens, slowing production and requiring workers to clean it out manually.

“People want to do the right thing,” said Baker. “The better people know, the cleaner the products and the more valuable it will be in the end for recycling.”

All plastic film should either be taken separately to a grocery store that has a plastic bag bin, or simply put in the garbage.

Another common contaminate is certain types of food containers, such as cardboard coffee tubs or tubes that hold stackable potato chips, such as Pringles. These types of containers are made of waxy, wet-strength paper designed to hold in moisture and retain freshness, making it extremely difficult for the fibers to breakdown and make new cardboard.

Big pet food bags? Nope, you’re better off finding a way to reuse them. Again, these are wet-strength type bags and the fibers won’t break down.

Cardboard pizza boxes are recyclable, but if they are soaked with too much grease or oils from the pizza, it inhibits the fiber breakdown process. Napkins are not accepted in the recycling cart because they are at their end of use for the paper fibers.

It’s easy to assume commingle bins are chock full of cardboard and paper the week after Christmas. Most of it’s acceptable, but some forethought by consumers is needed.

Let’s say you’re tossing away a cardboard display box that held a fire truck or baby doll. Any small plastic ties and or wires should be removed before it goes in the recycle bin.

Wrapping paper is recyclable but not foil-type paper. As far as gift bags, only craft paper types are recyclable. Any bags that have a glossy, plastic coating won’t break down.

Any paper product or recyclable materials should be put directly into the commingle bin or a paper bag, not plastic garbage bags, as this will be considered a contaminate and taken to a landfill.

Aluminum foil is acceptable, as long as it’s not stuffed inside another container such as a coffee can or cardboard cereal box. Try to separate items so they don’t get lost.

The Problem with Plastics

I must admit that as I looked over the shoreline of commingle mountain, I saw many things that I personally have tossed into the curbside bin that can’t be recycled.

For instance, small plastic pots used for starter plants, plastic baby bottle liners and clear plastic bakery containers (also referred to as clamshells). Thin plastics such as the small starter pots and bakery containers are not considered a “durable” plastic. It’s the same for those nearly-impossible-to-open clear plastic bubble packages often used for small electronics. Even though it is a rigid plastic, bubble packages are not recyclable in the Central Oregon market. Shampoo and soap bottles, on the other hand, are recyclable — as long as they are six ounces or greater.

But even if it is recyclable, most plastics have a reincarnation limit.

“Plastic has a short shelf life in terms of how many times it can be recycled,” said Denise Rowcroft, sustainability educator for The Environmental Center.

Any plastic lids (coffee can, sour cream tub, milk jug and water bottle lids, etc.) and single-serving snack containers for applesauce, pudding, gelatin etc. should be tossed into the garbage. These items are too small to survive the sorting process and like plastic film, get caught in the machinery.

So what about the recycling symbol and numbers still stamped on plastic containers? Don’t those mean it’s recyclable?

Not necessarily, said Rowcroft.

“The numbers and recycling symbol were invented by the plastic industry to identify what type of plastic it is,” said Rowcroft.

When it comes to plastic, ignore the numbers and consider the physical structure of the plastic item. Any rigid bottle or tub six ounces or bigger is OK to put in the commingle curbside bin. Anything smaller tends to get lost and stuck in the sorting equipment.

The Contaminates

About 5 percent of all materials collected in commingle curbside bins are considered contaminates, said Brad Bailey, president of Bend Garbage and Recycling.

That number may sound small, but it can add up when it’s going to the wrong place.

“When the mill buys the fiber and there is plastic film in there, it clogs up their screens,” said Bailey.

“It’s important that what we send them (materials recovery facility) is as clean as possible,” said Bailey, and he acknowledges that people are trying to do the right thing by recycling as much as possible.

“A lot of people may move here from other communities where certain things were acceptable in the commingle bins but aren’t accepted here. So when in doubt, always revert to the guide we send in our mailers, not what’s labeled on the product,” he said. “And if you’re still not sure whether to toss it or recycle it, call us.”

Metal can be recycled indefinitely and glass bottles of all colors are recycled. Don’t put any dinnerware such as plates, mugs (even clear glass ones) or ceramics in with the glass. They are not recyclable.

A recycling bin that contains contaminates, however, is not brought to the landfill right off the bat. When customers take the time to put materials they assume are recyclable into the blue recycle bin, it ends up getting sorted first before being thrown away.

Reducing Waste

So what about this whole recycling effort anyway? Is it helping? Does it make a difference on the environment? The answer is yes, but there is a lot of room for improvement.

“We are making more stuff and buying more stuff and creating more garbage,” said Rowcroft. “Now we are just trying to keep pace. More and more things are becoming disposable and made to break quicker — cheaply made products. Recycling is needed to keep pace with providing materials for these new items.

“As a consumer, usually something with recycled content tends to be more expensive. There is more infrastructure involved in recycled materials and a lot of steps along the way.”

Although the overall process of recycling is expensive and uses natural resources and energy, it is helping. Trees have been conserved as well as energy and natural materials, but now the focus is shifting to reducing waste.

The Environmental Center hosts presentations at local schools and businesses to educate people about ways to be “greener.” Most people today know what the three R’s mean (reduce, reuse and recycle), but it’s the concept of reduce that both children and adults have a harder time with, said Rowcroft.

“That’s a really abstract thing that takes a little bit of planning and forethought,” she continued. “The point of contact of reducing waste is at the store when buying things.”

She suggests people ask themselves a few questions before making a purchase. Questions such as, “Do I really need that item? Is it over packaged? Do I have other options?”

Now that most of us are actively recycling, the next steps are looking at waste prevention, said Rowcroft.

“Yes, people should recycle as much as possible, but that’s still looking at the item afterwards. Where we really have to get is to the before stage.”

An excellent example of reducing waste is when buying snack products. Apples, for instance, can be purchased separately and taken home in a paper bag, then sliced up and stored in a reusable container. Oftentimes busy consumers choose to buy the pre-sliced apples in individual plastic bags, resulting in non-recyclable garbage and more money at the checkout.

Not to pick on apples, but applesauce is another example. Rather than buying the small lunch-box size containers of applesauce, buy one large glass jar and put the applesauce in smaller reusable containers.

Rowcroft admits that when traveling with her toddler, the “squeezy” pouches of baby food were very convenient, but again, resulted in unnecessary garbage. So she searched online and found reusable baby food pouches that work the same way as the disposable ones.

“The more it’s packaged, the more you’re paying for it. In some cases when you pay for things that are convenience foods, they are more expensive,” she said.

Overall, recycling our waste has become increasingly easier, and with creative websites loaded with ideas for reusing stuff, it’s a win-win situation. It makes us feel good to be thoughtful of our Earth, and hopefully will have a noticeably positive result for future generations.