Can you identify the non-recyclable items in this photo?
Recycling: What you need to know
Recyclables picked up curbside from Harrisburg and many other municipalities end up here, at PennWaste in York County, at a relatively new facility that processes 14,000 tons of recyclables every month. The process is mostly automated and 97-percent accurate at separating the different kinds of recycled materials, said Tim Horkay, director of recycling operations.
Most paper, plastic, aluminum and milk-type cartons can be recycled by residents with little effort. Containers need to be rinsed, but not washed. A little bit of food residue is acceptable, but oil-stained pizza boxes or large amounts of food waste stuck onto items is not.
Christine Vendel | cvendel@pennlive.com
While the process is mostly automated now, the PennWaste facility still employs 30 people per shift to sort through the items you leave in your bin. That means a real human being has to touch those items. With that in mind, here are some tips on what NOT to throw in your recycle bin.
These short needles likely came from a diabetic patient. But PennWaste employees also have encountered long needles.
Christine Vendel | cvendel@pennlive.com
No needles or medical waste
Medical waste is not an acceptable item to recycle because of the potential for blood-borne pathogens. Yet 600 pounds of needles ended up at PennWaste last year and the amount seems to be steadily increasing, officials said. When needles, such as these contained in plastic jugs, are spotted along the conveyor belts, employees must shut down the line to pull them off. That results in 50 hours of lost machine time per year. Some employees have been poked with loose needles as well, even through their puncture-resistant gloves.
Christine Vendel | cvendel@pennlive.com
Wood and styrofoam are not among the materials typically recycled curbside. Inappropriate items that are tossed in with recyclables have to be removed by employees and they end up being thrown away.
Christine Vendel | cvendel@pennlive.com
No containers with flammable residue
While plastic containers are perfect for recycling, containers that formerly held oil or other flammable liquids are not welcome at recycling centers. That's because the oil and flammable liquids pose special problems during the recycling process, including creating flash points and changing the chemical composition of plastics. Such containers should go in the trash or be reused at your home for a purpose that won't be affected by the oil residue.
Christine Vendel | cvendel@pennlive.com
There are places to recycle clothing, such as Goodwill or Salvation Army, but a curbside recycling bin is not the way to go. Clothing clogs up the machinery at the recycling facility so employees must keep a watchful eye to try to pull out errant clothing.
Christine Vendel | cvendel@pennlive.com
No CD or DVD cases
These cases aren't recyclable at PennWaste. But instead of throwing them in the trash, people can consider donating them to a school, library or thrift store that may need excess cases to replace broken or missing cases.
Christine Vendel | cvendel@pennlive.com
No dirty tissues or paper towels
This purple-stained napkin is just plain gross. But some employee at PennWaste had to pull it off the line because it doesn't contain any reusable fiber when covered in grape jelly. PennWaste doesn't accept used tissues or paper towels.
Christine Vendel | cvendel@pennlive.com
Toys such as this horse and other children's items made from hard industrial plastic aren't recyclable. This horse got pulled off the line at PennWaste last week.
Christine Vendel | cvendel@pennlive.com
Drinking glasses are made with lead glass, which isn't a kind that can be recycled curbside. Glass liquor or soda bottles are fine to recycle (except in Harrisburg, Dauphin County and other municipalities that have discontinued glass collection.) PennWaste still accepts glass from its customers as the machinery can separate even small broken pieces of glass from other items.
Christine Vendel | cvendel@pennlive.com
Plastic shopping bags and trash bags aren't welcome in curbside recycling bins, because they get wrapped up in the machinery at the recycling facility. This sorter has be manually cleaned twice a day because of the bags, clothing and other items that get snagged. That prevents the sorting machine from working because it's intended to allow smaller and heavier items to fall below the rods. To clear the machine, an employee tethers to the red bar at the top of the photo and manually cuts off the bags and offending items. Plastic shopping bags can be recycled at most grocery and big-box stores.
Christine Vendel | cvendel@pennlive.com
Diapers make a regular appearance at PennWaste even though they are not recyclable (clean or dirty.) Harrisburg officials said some people seem to make a game out of throwing diapers into lidless recycle containers instead of properly disposing of them.
Christine Vendel | cvendel@pennlive.com
PennWaste can't recycle cords such as these. When they show up at the recycling facility, employees try to fish them out from the conveyor line. Instead, people looking to get rid of old cords, wires, cables and recyclable batteries can drop them off at Best Buy stores, just inside the front doors.
Christine Vendel | cvendel@pennlive.com
This bottle full of talc ended up at PennWaste's recycling facility last week, but had to be pulled from the line. The container would be acceptable to recycle for its plastic content, but the container must be empty. The conveyor belt is moving items too quickly for employees to empty them as they pass by.
Christine Vendel | cvendel@pennlive.com
Did we say no full containers?
This is what happens when someone throws a can of shaving cream into their recycle bin when it still has shaving cream inside: the process of baling ends up squeezing out whatever's left, making a mess. Be sure to empty all containers before recycling.
Christine Vendel | cvendel@pennlive.com
Plastic hangers can be made of different kinds of plastic so they're not good for recycling. Avoid trying to recycle plastic hangers or large items made from hard industrial plastic. The employees at PennWaste have had to deal with items as large as swing sets being "recycled." They end up pulling out those large items at the beginning of the process, on the tipping floor.
Christine Vendel | cvendel@pennlive.com
Plastic containers should be rinsed of food and debris before being tossed into the recycle bin. This industrial-sized plastic container clearly was not. Food residue can ruin otherwise good recyclables like pizza boxes as well. Experts advise tearing off portions of pizza boxes that are stained with excess oil or cheese before adding the cardboard to the recycle bin.
Christine Vendel | cvendel@pennlive.com
Lids to plastic bottles can be recycled, but preferably not while still attached to the bottle. When lids are left in place, the plastic can't always be compressed during the baling process, as this 7-Up bottle filled with air demonstrates. Water bottles are the toughest material to compress with lids attached, said Tim Horkay, at PennWaste.
No bubble wrap or aluminum foil
Bubble wrap can't be recycled and in fact gets tied up in the machinery just like plastic shopping bags, so avoid putting it in your recycle bin. Another item that can't be recycled: aluminum foil. Aluminum cans, yes. Aluminum foil, no.
Christine Vendel | cvendel@pennlive.com
End of the recycling line
At the end of the day, after going through the baler machine, this is how recyclables are shipped out from PennWaste. The bales are sold to customers all over the world, according to Tim Horkay, director of recycling operations. The material reaches domestic customers within about one week and overseas customers in Asia about 45 days.
Christine Vendel | cvendel@pennlive.com
PennWaste opened this new 96,000-square foot recycling facility in February two years ago with state-of-the-art machines to automate most of the process for higher efficiency and less contamination. A new baler was installed earlier this month. The new facility with optical sorters can process more than twice the tonnage of recyclables per month than before.
Christine Vendel | cvendel@pennlive.com
Notebook paper and computer paper is recycled into facial tissue, toilet paper and new notebook paper. Steel and tin cans are reused to make rebar, bike parts and appliances while recycled aluminum cans are used to make new aluminum cans. Mixed paper and junk mail can be recycled into roofing shingles and paper towel rolls.
Read other stories about recycling:
Harrisburg plans to recycle more paper, restrict glass
Glass is trash: Dauphin County can no longer afford to recycle glass
Is Harrisburg losing money on recycling?
Private haulers agree to give up Harrisburg trash accounts
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