Do you ever put things in your recycling container without checking to make sure they’re recyclable?  You probably mean well doing this – recycling keeps things out of landfill, conserves resources, and perhaps gives them new life in a new product.  But this ‘wishcycling’– the act of tossing things in the recycling that you hope are recyclable – can actually do more harm than good. If the items are non-recyclable or soiled, they can contaminate the recyclables you put in your cart.  When this happens, all those materials can end up in the landfill – the opposite of what you intended!

When in doubt, find out! If you aren’t sure if something is recyclable, look up the item on SanJoseRecycles.org. Disposal information for over 300 common, and not-so-common, items is searchable on the website. Watch this quick video to see how quick and easy it is to use.

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