Oops! If you notice a tag stuck on the un-emptied recycling cart left on your curb, it’s probably because the City of Akron and Keep Akron Beautiful launched their Recycle Right campaign this week.
The initiative is aimed at helping educate Akron residents on what they can and can’t recycle.
Now through Friday, Aug. 9, your blue cart will be checked for non-recyclables such as clothing or linens, yard waste, foam packaging and plastic wrap, among other items. If non-recyclable items are found in your recycling cart, it won’t be emptied, but you’ll be able to try again the following week.
The Recycle Right campaign aims to lower contamination costs
The goal of the Recycle Right campaign is to help lower contamination rates by educating city residents. Contamination is “anything that can’t be recycled through a community’s recycling program,” said Jacqui Ricchiuti, the CEO of Keep Akron Beautiful, in a press release.
Prior to the 2019 launch of the Recycle Right campaign, the City of Akron cited a contamination rate of 39.3%, which cost it more than $205,000. Now, the city’s contamination rate is at 22.3%, down nearly 50%. By the end of this year’s campaign, the city hopes to drop further, to less than 20%.
“The cleaner our recycling stream, the more sustainable the program will be,” Ricchiuti said in the release.
What can I put in my recycling cart?
Recyclable items must be unbagged and loose in the recycling cart.
Items that can be recycled include:
- Food and beverage cartons. (All bottles, containers and cartons should be emptied before being placed in the bin.)
- Cardboard, paperboard and mixed paper, which should be broken down or flattened.
- Empty metal food and beverage cans that are not glass. The city has bins for glass recycling in specific locations around the city.
- Plastic bottles and containers.
What will earn an ‘Oops!’ tag on my recycling bin?
Food waste, clothing and plastic bags, along with construction materials and yard waste, will result in an “oops” tag. Other items that cannot be recycled include foam cups and containers, needles and glass. Coffee pods such as “K cups” are not recyclable in Akron, for example.
Still confused about what you can recycle? The city’s “Akron Recycles” app can help. Through the app – available on iOS or Android – residents can search an item to see if it belongs in the trash bin or recycling cart.
More information can also be found through the city’s trash service brochure.
