Empty. Clean. Dry. The New Way to Recycle. 

Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. Anyone growing up in the 1970s, '80s or '90s learned the three Rs of recycling in school. We were taught to recycle everything we could. We added recycling containers to our homes, our offices and classrooms and recycling became a part of our culture. 

In the 40 years since recycling was introduced, Americans have recycled nearly 87 million tons per year. That means each of us recycles approximately 1.5 pounds per day! However, the recycling model we all grew up with is changing, and we have to change with it. 

Trying to recycle unclean or unrecyclable material increases sorting time and slows down the recycling process, damages the facility's equipment and causes contaminants in the bales of clean recyclables that decreases the value of the items. When this occurs, we have to put the ENTIRE load of recyclables into our landfills due to the contamination. 

  • EMPTY means making sure there is no food or product residue. Make sure all of that goes into the trash or down the drain as part of the EMPTY process. 
  • CLEAN means that empty recyclable containers should be rinsed. So, no mustard in the mustard containers or leftover ketchup in the ketchup bottles. If you cannot get a container completely clean, it is best to put it into the trash so as not to contaminate the rest of your recycling material and the overall process. 
  • DRY means letting containers dry before placing them in your blue container so that the paper and cardboard does not get wet. Wet or soiled paper and cardboard cannot be recycled. 

By practicing Empty. Clean. Dry. With our families, we can ensure the recycling materials leaving our homes are in fact recyclable. Together, we are caretakers of this blue planet - our home, and largely covered with blue waters that flow beneath blue skies. It is worthy of every effort we can make to protect it for our children's children. 

Be sure your recyclables are Empty. Clean. Dry.TM before placing them in your recycling container. 

Did You Know? 

  • Grocery bags ARE NOT recyclable and often contaminate other recyclables. 
  • Never recycle diapers! Baby diapers are the most common contaminant in the recycling stream. 
  • Only the clean lid of a pizza box is recyclable; not the greasy bottom. 
  • Yard waste cannot be placed inside your recycling container.