23 Common Items You Can’t Recycle (And Why)
Learn which everyday items shouldn't go in the recycling bin—and what you can do instead.
Proper recycling is key to reducing landfill waste and protecting the environment, but many common items cannot be recycled in curbside bins. Placing these non-recyclable items in your recycling contaminates the whole batch—wasting resources and making recycling less effective. Here are 23 everyday products that most municipal programs reject, why they cause problems, and sustainable alternatives for disposal.
1. Plastic Bags and Film
Plastic bags, plastic film, and wraps might carry recycling symbols, but they should never go in your curbside bin. These thin plastics tangle sorting machinery at recycling facilities, causing costly shutdowns and safety hazards. Instead, return clean and dry shopping bags and certain films to store drop-off locations that collect them separately for specialized recycling.
- Includes: grocery bags, bread bags, produce bags, dry cleaning bags, bubble wrap.
- Problem: Jams recycling equipment; most curbside facilities can’t process them.
- Alternative: Store drop-off programs.
2. Styrofoam® and Other Foam Plastics
Styrofoam cups, takeout containers, packing peanuts, and foam packaging are almost universally not accepted curbside, even with a recycling triangle.
- Includes: food containers, foam egg cartons, packing peanuts.
- Problem: Difficult to recycle due to low density and contamination; limited markets.
- Alternative: Some mailing stores accept clean packing peanuts for reuse. Best to avoid.
3. Takeout Cups and Food Containers
Disposable coffee cups, beverage cups, and drink cartons often have a plastic or wax lining that makes recycling tricky or impossible. Food residue also contaminates batches.
- Problem: Plastic coatings and food waste make separation and recycling uneconomical.
- Alternative: Choose reusable containers, or dispose of in the trash if unsure.
4. Greasy Pizza Boxes
Pizzas are delicious, but their oily boxes are not. While clean, dry cardboard is recyclable, grease and cheese residue mean used pizza boxes belong in the trash.
- Tip: If the lid is clean, tear it off and recycle; compost greasy halves if allowed locally.
5. Paper Towels, Tissues, and Napkins
Even though they’re made of paper, these items are not recyclable due to contamination from food, grease, or cleaning chemicals. The fibers are too short for effective recycling. Compost if possible, otherwise throw away.
6. Dirty Food Containers
Rinse before you recycle! Containers with leftover yogurt, peanut butter, or sauce contaminate recycling streams, making other recyclables unrecoverable. Only clean, dry containers are accepted.
- Includes: yogurt cups, takeout boxes, metal cans with food.
- Tip: If a container is too hard to clean, it’s better to toss it.
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7. Hazardous Material Containers
Containers once holding hazardous waste or chemicals should never be placed in recycling. This includes motor oil, pesticides, and cleaning agents—even if labeled with a recycling symbol. The residue can harm recycling workers and contaminate materials.
8. Black Plastics
Black plastic trays, containers, and utensils cannot be sorted by most recycling facility optics and usually end up as trash—even if marked as recyclable.
- Problem: Optical scanners cannot detect black pigment.
- Tip: Avoid black plastics when possible.
9. Frozen Food Bags
The plastic bags used for frozen vegetables, fruits, and ready meals have special coatings that resist heat and condensation—making them non-recyclable in both curbside and store drop-off programs.
- Tip: Choose cardboard-boxed alternatives when possible.
10. Juice Boxes and Cartons
Also called aseptic or Tetra Pak containers, juice boxes, soup cartons, and some soy or almond milk packages are laminated with a mix of plastic and aluminum. Some cities accept them, but most don’t. Check local rules—and if in doubt, do not recycle curbside.
11. Coffee Pods and Single-Serve Capsules
Single-use coffee pods (like K-Cups®) blend plastic, aluminum, and organic material, making them very hard to recycle. Only specialized programs accept them. Otherwise, they’re landfill-bound.
- Tip: Seek out brands offering mail-back or drop-off recycling options.
12. Plastic Cutlery and Disposable Plates
Most disposable utensils, plates, and straws are made from low-grade plastics that are not recyclable curbside. They’re often too small for sorting, contaminate other recyclables, and can block machines.
- Alternative: Opt for compostable or reusable bamboo, wood, or metal alternatives.
13. Wire Hangers and Scrap Metal
Hangers and loose metal pieces are not accepted with household recyclables as they snag and break machinery. Large or heavy items require specialized handling, not curbside bins.
- Alternative: Return hangers to dry cleaners or bring scrap metal to dedicated facilities.
14. Garden Hoses and “Stringy” Items
Hoses, ropes, extension cords, and other “tanglers” wrap around sorting equipment, causing jams and delays. They belong in the trash, not the recycling bin.
15. Aerosol Cans That Are Not Empty
Pressurized aerosol cans, whether for paint, hairspray, or household cleaners, are often banned from recycling programs. Only fully empty cans (check with your local program) are sometimes accepted. Never recycle partially filled cans—they’re hazardous.
16. Ceramics, Dishes, and Glassware
Ceramic mugs, Pyrex glass, plates, mirrors, and light bulbs have different melting points and chemical properties than bottle glass. These must not be mixed with glass recycling.
- Problem: Can shatter and contaminate batches of recyclable glass containers.
- Disposal: Donate usable items; trash broken items safely.
17. Batteries
All types of household and rechargeable batteries require proper processing. Placing them in curbside recycling creates fire hazards and environmental dangers.
- Alternative: Take to battery-specific drop-off locations or hazardous waste centers.
18. Electronics
Computers, TVs, phones, and e-waste contain hazardous materials and must be processed specialized facilities, not municipal recycling. Never toss electronics in your bin.
- Alternative: Use electronics recycling events or manufacturer take-back programs.
19. Light Bulbs
Incandescent, CFL, and LED bulbs each require different handling protocols and are not recycled alongside containers or mixed glass. Some hardware stores offer bulb recycling bins.
- Alternative: Bring bulbs to designated drop-off centers. CFLs need special handling due to mercury.
20. Clothing and Textiles
Old clothes, shoes, towels, and similar textiles do not belong in curbside recycling. Fibers clog recycling screens. Donate or use textile collection programs for reuse or downcycling.
- Alternative: Look for donation boxes or local textile recycling initiatives.
21. Loose Bottle Caps and Small Items
Loose, small items like bottle caps, bread tags, and pill bottles are too small for automated sorting and slip through machinery, contaminating other recyclables. Keep plastic caps attached to bottles; metal lids, if large enough, can sometimes be recycled with scrap metal.
22. Diapers and Sanitary Products
Disposable diapers, sanitary pads, and wipes contain plastic and biohazards. These materials never belong in recycling; they contaminate processing lines and create health risks.
23. Medical Sharps and Syringes
Needles, syringes, and sharps pose danger to sanitation and recycling workers and must be disposed of in proper sharps containers via pharmacies or medical collection sites—not recycling bins.
Common Alternatives or Specialty Solutions
- Store drop-off: Clean plastic bags, films, and certain wrappers.
- Compost: Food-soiled paper and napkins (where industrial composting is available).
- Donation: Clothes, shoes, some household items.
- Hazardous waste collection: Electronics, batteries, bulbs, chemicals, and paints.
- Reuse or repurpose: Consider creative upcycling for ceramics, textiles, or jars.
Table: Common Non-Recyclable Items and Alternatives
| Item | Curbside Recyclable? | Suggested Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Plastic bags/film | No | Store drop-off |
| Styrofoam | No | Avoid/pilot programs only |
| Food-soiled paper | No | Compost/Trash |
| Electronics | No | E-waste programs |
| Hoses, rope, cords | No | Trash |
| Pots, pans, ceramics | No | Donation/Trash |
| Batteries | No | Hazardous waste drop-off |
| Light bulbs | No | Specialty retailers |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Why does contamination in my recycling matter?
Contaminants like food, liquids, and non-recyclable plastics lower the quality of recycled materials and can even cause entire loads to be landfilled—undermining local recycling efforts and costing more in waste management.
Q: What should I do if I’m unsure whether something is recyclable?
Check your local recycling guidelines first. If still unsure, it’s safer to throw it in the trash—better one item in landfill than a contaminated load that sends all recyclables to the landfill.
Q: Are biodegradable and compostable plastics recyclable?
No. Most compostable plastics require industrial composting and cannot be processed with regular plastic recycling streams. Mixing them with conventional plastics causes contamination.
Q: Can receipts and thermal paper be recycled?
Most thermal receipt paper contains chemicals that are not suitable for recycling. Dispose of these in the trash, not with paper recyclables.
Q: Where can I take hazardous items like batteries and bulbs?
Look for household hazardous waste collection events, or check hardware stores and recycling centers that accept specific items like batteries, light bulbs, and electronics.
Tips for Reducing Non-Recyclables
- Read your local recycling program’s rules regularly; they can change.
- Rinse and dry containers before recycling.
- Reduce overall waste by choosing reusable or refillable products.
- Participate in store or city special-collection programs for items like plastic film or textiles.
- Advocate for better labeling on packaging and eco-friendly alternatives.
References
- https://www.mcfarland.wi.us/DocumentCenter/View/543/Non-Recyclable-Items-Contamination-List-PDF
- https://www.okonrecycling.com/consumer-recycling-initiatives/learn-about-recycling/items-not-accepted-public-recycling/
- https://www.goodnet.org/articles/14-everyday-items-you-didnt-know-could-recycle
- https://ecooptimism.com/?tag=treehugger
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