A recycling pickup company may not make you aware of any mistakes you are making in your office recycling program until you receive your monthly bill. Recycling is different across the country, and this includes the rules for what each recycling pickup company will and won’t accept. 

Things may even change from year to year based on the waste industry. It can be helpful to ask questions so that office recycling programs and their recycling companies can be on the same page.

Are Glass Bottles and Jars Accepted?

In recent years, glass recycling has been accepted less and less. The weight of the glass weighs down recycling pickup trucks and can add fuel costs to recycling companies. If glass isn’t being accepted and you are still attempting to recycle glass bottles and jars in your office recycling program, you could be paying extra for weight for something that is just going into the landfill. 

If you want to see your glass be recycled, talk to your recycling pickup company about other resources or drop-off centers for taking glass to be recycled.

What Plastics Are Accepted?

Plastic recycling comes with numbers, and only certain numbers are accepted at different recycling locations. Plastics #1 and #2 are widely accepted. Some places will accept plastics numbered 3, 4, and 5, while others won’t. If you are mixing all plastics together, it could be causing the ones that may be accepted to be contaminated and, therefore, worthless. Know what plastics are accepted to avoid contaminating a whole load of plastics.

What Can Be Done About Food Waste?

Office spaces can create significant amounts of food waste from lunchtime, snack time, or coffee breaks. So what can be done about this food waste? Food waste also weighs down trash pick up and, therefore, can cost more. 

There may not be a lot of options for food waste, but it never hurts to ask. Some recycling companies may be able to divert food waste from landfills which is not only positive for recycling, but it’s also positive for the environment.

Contact Mission Recycle for all your recycling questions to improve office recycling all around.