When it comes to recycling in Phoenix, putting the right items in blue curbside bins can be just as critical as recycling in the first place.

Throwing the wrong materials, such as plastic shopping bags and greasy food containers, in those bins costs the city money — to the tune of about $1 million extra per year, according to the Public Works Department.

Non-recyclables or contaminants that end up in the recycling stream have to be sorted out, which slows the process. They can also damage expensive equipment at the city’s recycling plant.

And contaminated recycling makes it harder for the city to reach its lofty goal: to increase to 40 percent by 2020 the portion of trash that gets recycled, composted or doesn’t end up in a landfill.

Currently, the city only diverts about 20 percent of its trash from the landfill. Nationally, the average is about 34 percent.

Residents can help Phoenix improve its rate by recycling the right things: plastic bottles with the caps on; empty beverage cans; newspaper, junk mail and copy paper; plastic jugs; food jars; glass bottles; food cans; and cardboard and cartons.

But Phoenix officials say the trick isn’t just getting Phoenicians to recycle more. They also need to recycle better. Contaminated recycling is a serious problem — almost a quarter of what ends up in city curbside bins isn’t recyclable.

Last year, The Arizona Republicpublished a list of eight items residents commonly mistaken as recyclable. The story prompted a flood of questions from readers wanting to know what else might not be recyclable.

To help solve any lingering recycling mysteries, here are eight more materials Phoenix residents commonly think are recyclable but actually shouldn’t be placed in the city’s blue bins:

Junk-food wrappers

Chip bags and candy wrappers are rarely recyclable. Lucas Mariacher, the city’s recycling coordinator, said that’s because they are often made of more than one material, such as plastics, metals and adhesives.

Unfortunately, he said, there isn’t a good option to recycle those wrappers. So there you have it, another reason to feel guilty over a junk-food binge.

Plastic sandwich bags

Ziploc baggies are one of several pesky plastic films that cannot be recycled in city bins. Others include plastic shopping bags, dry-cleaning bags and trash bags. These soft plastics get stuck in recycling equipment, forcing repairs and halting recycling production.

While plastic films or soft plastics aren’t allowed in city containers, they can be recycled in bins at many grocery stores. For some reason, the city refers to these bins as “Bag Central Station” (it’s a recycling bin for plastic films, not Phoenix’s version of Grand Central Station…). Just make sure sandwich bags don’t have food or liquid residue.

Plastic trash bags

We’ve already covered the problem with plastic films, but this one deserves an extra emphasis.

Attention, anyone who bags their recyclables in plastic trash bags: Stop it right now! All your hard work is for nothing. Mariacher said trash bags filled with recyclables end up in the landfill because recycling-plant workers don’t have time to open them.

Instead of bagging recyclables, he said, get a reusable recycling container and dump loose materials into the curbside bin.

Paper towels and napkins

Paper products used to wipe your hands, or whatever, are never recyclable. These types of papers have reached the end of their recyclable lifespan, Mariacher said, because their fibers are too short to be reused.

But paper towels, napkins and tissues can be composted to help create eco-friendly fertilizer. If starting a backyard compost pile sounds like too much work, there is a company that offers compost pick-up service in the Phoenix area: Recycled City.

Batteries

All types of batteries cannot be recycled. For starters, they’re often filled with acid and some types can start fires when they get smashed with other recyclables, Mariacher said. Seriously, that happened recently.

Batteries can be safely recycled at the city’s regular household hazardous and electronic waste collection events. Details online: http://azc.cc/2svB7yn. Proof of city trash service is required to drop off items. Many hardware stores also accept batteries for recycling. Take car batteries to an auto-repair shop.

Plastic straws

Size matters, especially when it comes to recycling. Anything smaller than two inches in diameter typically falls through the cracks of the city’s recycling machinery and cannot be recycled.

But environmental activists have a simple solution: stop using straws altogether. They often note that straws aren’t such a fad in many other developed countries. But if straws are too good to quit, leave them attached to plastic drink lips/cups and they can be recycled.

Electronics

The city is not equipped to recycle any type of electronics put in curbside bins — televisions, phones, appliances and electric cords. So, just leave your old transistor radios and laserdisc players out! Electronics contain a variety of materials and must be processed by specialty recyclers.

However, many electronics can be recycled at Best Buy stores. All electronics can also be taken to city household hazardous and electronic waste collection events (see above).

Car parts

Wheels, axles, engines and other heavy metal car parts aren’t recyclable in city bins. No, the city’s recycling plant isn’t a giant pit of molten steel that can absorb any piece of metal machinery. Think less lava pit from “Terminator 2: Judgement Day” and more conveyor belt with sorting disks, magnets and sensors.

The only metal materials that can be recycled in city bins are generally food packaging, such as aluminum beverage cans and tin soup cans.

Heavy metal parts should be taken to a scrap metal dealer, and could fetch a pretty penny.

Get rewards for recycling

The city has partnered with RecycleBank, an eco-friendly marketing company, to launch a custom app and website to teach residents how to recycle correctly.

Think of it like a frequent-flier program, but for recycling. Users create an account and earn points, which can be redeemed for prizes, by putting their blue bins at the curb, learning about recycling and encouraging others to do the same.

The app launched in January. So far, about 37,200 residents have signed up.

Points earned through Recyclebank can be traded in for prizes such as gift cards, magazine subscriptions and discounts at retailers and restaurants. To sign up and start earning points, visit https://www.recyclebank.com/home/.

READ MORE:

Phoenix using gift cards, other rewards to coax residents to recycle  

Arizona cities send far more trash to landfills than U.S. average  

Phoenix recycling divide: Valet service for some, squat for others

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