Recycle Right
We know you want to recycle. 94% of Americans support recycling and its the most common pro-environmental behavior we participate in as a nation. However, many in Hallandale Beach are not recycling "right".
What is recycling "right" you may ask? It is only putting items in your recycling bin that are actually recyclable. Currently, more than 70% of the recycling our Sanitation workers pick up is "contaminated" with items that aren't recyclable. When that contaminated recycling is brought to the recycling center any load (the whole truck) which is more than 20% contamination is sent straight to the landfill.
So what can and can't you recycle curbside in Hallandale Beach? This guide can help you make sure you're only recycling right. In short:
You CAN recycle curbside:
- Empty and clean aluminum and steel cans
- Empty and clean food and beverage cartons
- Empty and clean bottles and jars
- Dry and clean cereal boxes, newspaper, magazines, mail, flattened cardboard, and paper tubes
- Empty and clean plastic containers with a recycling printed on number on it.
You CANNOT recycle curbside (this is contamination):
- Plastic film including garbage bags, zipper or snack bags, plastic food wrapping
- Dirty aluminum or steel cans
- Dirty food and beverage cartons
- Dirty or wet paper or cardboard (like oily pizza boxes, used paper towels or paper plates)
- Dirty plastic containers even if they have a recycling number
- Wood or metal construction debris
- Styrofoam
- Bulky items like plastic chairs
- Plastics without a number printed on it (like berry containers)
Upset about not being able to recycle garbage bags? Consider how recycling/refuse workers have the
fifth-highest rate of death on the job. Many of these deaths are caused by workers getting crushed by sorting equipment when trying to remove plastic film, like garbage bags which causes their equipment to jam. So, please don't place your recycling in your blue bin contained within a plastic garbage bag, instead, empty the contents of that bag directly into your blue bin and then throw away (or reuse) the bag.
While you can't recycle the plastic film, like shopping bags, food wrappers, and garbage bags in your curbside recycling, you can recycle it at select stores. Find a drop-off location for plastic film
here.
Also, we encourage our residents to work hard to reduce their overall plastic consumption. Worldwide,
only about 9% of plastics ever produced has been recycled.