Common Contaminants

Contaminants are things that don't belong. Whether it's your garbage, green waste, recycling cart, or a commercial recycling container, there are a few rules.  Some items are considered contaminants because we have no market for them.  Other contaminants can damage the sorting equipment and, in some cases, cause injury to our employees.  If you're not sure about an item, please call our Customer Service Department at 224-6201. Green waste carts and recycling carts that are contaminated three or more times will be removed. How do we know your cart is contaminated?  Every truck is equipped with a camera so the driver can view the items as they empty from the cart into the truck.  If the driver spots a contaminant, he will likely leave an "Oops!" tag to let you know.  The "Oops!" tags are just a friendly reminder and are our way of communicating with you.  We try to correct the problem when we find it, but we need your assistance. Once a cart/container has been contaminated three times, it will be removed. We want to avoid that so we do our best to communicate and educate. The list of contaminants below includes, but is not limited to the following: