HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — The issue of contaminated recycling is a problem Hillsborough County is trying to get ahead of now that the holiday season has ended.
As packaging and container materials consistently change, Hillsborough County Recycling coordinator Travis Barnes says they're seeing more costly and some hazardous mistakes in the recycle bin.
This is peak time for his line of work.
"People are often hosting parties this time of year, gathering with friends and family and we often generate more garbage," said Barnes.
Getting rid of some of that waste is challenging according to Barnes who says misinformation has led to recycling contamination.
"A lot of people like decorating the tree, most family decorations including the holiday lights can not be recycled," he said. "They (tree lights) can tangle around our processing equipment, shutting down our entire facility."
Reusing wrapping paper is strongly encouraged, but if you have to toss them out there are a few pointers to keep in mind.
"If it's the regular kind of paper that can be recycled, but if it's got a lot of glitter or is the metallic type of paper it is not readily recyclable," Barnes said.
Barnes said the slightest mistakes are slowing down the process.
The most common mistake by residents is the use of trash bags to store recyclables.
"If you take the whole bag out and put it at the curbside it will not be recycled," said Barnes. "You want to recycle clean, dry and lose."
Hillsborough County has a page designated for residents to learn more about what can and cannot be recycled and how to prep for curbside pickup.
Barnes said the proper recycling decisions are first made at home and that it is up to the community to help reduce recycling contamination to help them maintain their equipment.
"It's very dangerous and costly in terms of downtime, and it's dangerous for our staff," he said.
Hillsborough County is in the middle of collecting and recycling Christmas trees.
You can do so via curbside pickup or drop it off at any of their yard waste processing facilities.