If You’re in Doubt About Whether You Can Recycle Something, It Might Be Best Not To

We’ve all been there. You’re standing at the recycling bin, holding a greasy pizza box, a plastic clamshell container, or a crinkled piece of foil, and thinking: this seems like it should be recyclable. So you toss it in and move on with your day. You might feel like you did the right thing. But if you’re in doubt about whether you can recycle something it’s best not to. This is because tossing questionable items in the bin can do more harm than good.

There’s actually a name for this habit: wishcycling. And while the intentions behind it are genuinely good, the consequences for the recycling system are surprisingly serious. The point is driven home in a recent Barron’s article on what you can and can’t throw in the recycling bin.

What Is Wishcycling?

Wishcycling is the practice of placing an item in the recycling bin when you’re not sure it’s accepted — essentially hoping the facility will sort it out. Most facilities cannot. Moreover, the cost of trying has increased significantly in recent years.

It’s not laziness. Most wishcyclers genuinely care about the environment and want to do their part. The problem is that good intentions don’t override the realities of how sorting equipment and recycling markets work.

Hazardous Items Don’t Belong in Your Bin

One of the more alarming points raised by Barron’s is that recycling facilities regularly encounter genuinely hazardous items — including batteries and helium canisters — mixed in with everyday recyclables. These aren’t just nuisances. For example, batteries can spark fires when crushed by sorting machinery. In addition, pressurized canisters can rupture or explode.

This is a serious safety issue for the workers who staff these facilities, and it’s a reminder that the recycling bin is not a catch-all for anything you’d rather not put in the trash. Batteries should be dropped off at designated collection points. Many hardware and electronics stores accept them. In contrast, pressurized containers like helium tanks require special disposal — check with your local waste hauler or municipality.

The Plastic Container Rule of Thumb

Not all plastic containers are created equal when it comes to curbside recycling. According to Barron’s, containers with a narrow neck and a bigger body — think water bottles, soda bottles, milk jugs, and shampoo bottles — are the plastic containers most commonly accepted in curbside programs.

Why does the shape matter? Narrow-neck containers are easier for sorting equipment to handle and tend to be made from plastics (like #1 PET and #2 HDPE) that have established recycling markets. However, wide-mouthed containers, clamshells, and flat packaging are a different story. Many are not accepted curbside, even if they carry a recycling symbol.

The resin identification number (the number inside the triangle on the bottom of a plastic container) can help, but it’s not the whole picture. Just because a plastic has a number doesn’t mean your local facility accepts it. As a rule, numbers 1 and 2 are the safest bets for curbside recycling almost everywhere.

Non-Recyclables That Fool People

Beyond plastics, the Barron’s piece highlights car tires and electronic toys as examples of non-recyclables that commonly end up at recycling facilities. These items require entirely separate disposal streams:

• Car tires can be recycled, but not through curbside programs. Many tire retailers and auto shops accept them, and some municipalities hold periodic tire collection events.
• Electronic toys and other e-waste contain circuit boards, batteries, and mixed materials that standard recycling facilities aren’t equipped to process. Look for e-waste drop-off events or retailer take-back programs.

These are the kinds of items that genuinely harm the process — jamming equipment, endangering workers, and driving up costs for everyone.

The Numbers Are Hard to Ignore

The scale of recycling contamination in the U.S. is significant:

• About 1 in 4 items placed in residential recycling bins doesn’t belong there, according to EPA estimates and industry data.
• Municipal contamination rates range from below 10% to above 40%, depending on the region and level of public education.
• A 2024 EPA assessment estimates the country needs $36.5 to $43.4 billion in investment by 2030 just to modernize a recycling system strained by contamination.
• Over 1,000 recycling facilities in California have shut down since 2018, partly due to high contamination rates.

When a load of recycling is too contaminated, the entire batch — including the items that were perfectly recyclable — often ends up in a landfill anyway. The bad apple really does spoil the bunch.

Why Did This Get Worse?

The turning point came in 2018, when China implemented its National Sword policy, effectively banning imports of most recyclable materials from the U.S. unless contamination levels were near zero. Before that, U.S. recycling facilities could ship mixed, lower-quality bales overseas. However, that option largely disappeared overnight.

Research from the University at Buffalo found that plastic landfilled in the U.S. increased by 23.2% in the year China’s import bans took effect. Processors now must clean material to a much higher standard. Alternatively, they pay to landfill it themselves.

The Simple Rule: When in Doubt, Throw It Out

Industry experts and recycling facilities across the country share a common message: if you’re not sure, put it in the trash. It feels counterintuitive. However, one contaminated load of recycling sent to a landfill does far more environmental damage than correctly sorting one questionable item as trash.

Here are a few practical habits that make a real difference:

1. Stick to narrow-neck plastic containers. Bottles and jugs with a narrow opening and wider body are your safest curbside bet.
2. Keep hazardous items out. Batteries, propane canisters, and helium tanks need special drop-off — never the recycling bin.
3. Rinse your containers. Plastic, metal, and glass should be empty and clean before going in the bin.
4. Know where to take the rest. Tires, e-waste, and electronics all have dedicated recycling streams — your hauler or the Earth911 recycling locator can point you in the right direction.
5. When in doubt, don’t. One non-recyclable item can contaminate an entire batch.

What Wastemaster Can Do for You

At Wastemaster, we believe good waste management starts with education. Whether you’re a homeowner trying to sort your recycling correctly or a business looking for a reliable waste and recycling partner, we’re here to help you do it right — not just do it.

Have questions about what’s accepted in your area, or want to talk through a commercial recycling program? Contact us today — we’re happy to help cut through the confusion.

Sources: Barron’s | Earth911 | EPA / Illinois State University | The Sustainable Agency | Northeast Recycling Council