RecyclingMonster - Recycling has been back in Santa Rosa County for three weeks now, but all the recycling that's been picked up so far has been going to the landfill.
Andrew Hill, County environmental manager said the recycling loads have had high levels of contamination and could not be taken to ECUA. This means people are still placing items in recycling bins that don't belong.
"Certainly not everyone but there are people that are using it like basically a second waste container, other things that we see are mini blinds since they are plastic people just think that they are recyclable," said Hill.
If this continues hill said the county could be at risk of losing the recycling program. It's going to take the whole county to keep recycling services going.
"You have three neighbors that are following all the rules and you have one neighbor that is using it like another waste container and when all that stuff gets mixed in together at the back of the truck it can contaminate that entire load," Hill said.
What can you recycle, Hill said think of the basics:
- Clean cardboard
- Aluminum and steel cans
- Plastic bottles and jugs
NOT RECYCLABLE
- Garden hoses
- Christmas tree lights
- Window blinds
- Greasy Pizza boxes
- Clothing
- Bedding, carpet and rugs
- Plastic bags
- Styrofoam
- Pet food cans/bags
- Waxy/paper milk cartons
- Juice boxes
- Aerosol cans
- Tin foil
Contamination levels have improved Hill said the county hopes to be able to take a recycling load to ECUA this week.
