Approximately 15% of materials collected for recycling are rejected due to either being non-accepted items or contamination. Contaminated materials include pizza boxes with food residue, cardboard/paper boxes with grease stains, and jars with remnants.
Before placing items in the blue recycling bag, ensure they are accepted, uncontaminated, and properly rinsed, cleaned, and dried.
The top five rejected items in recycling collections are:
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Electronics: These are not accepted in the city's blue bag recycling program. Electronics recycling events can be found on the Solid Waste Services calendar.
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Sharp Objects: Items like knives, needles, hangers, antennas, and medical waste are not accepted due to safety risks. Information on Special Waste Material Collection is available at CityofIrving.org/572/Special-Waste.
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Batteries: Batteries are not accepted due to the risk of fires they pose to recycling facilities.
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Ceramics: This material is rarely recyclable and can cause harm to furnaces designed for glass.
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Tangling Items: Items such as garden hoses, extension cords, and holiday lights are not accepted as they can disrupt recycling machinery.
For more information about recycling in Irving, visit CityofIrving.org/Recycling.
