Garbage in the recycling can contaminate good recyclables, harm machinery, hurt people, decrease the value of recyclable materials, and, ultimately, take a longer trip to the landfill. The national average for non-recyclables (garbage) in recycling is 10%, and Greensboro has a 26% contamination rate, according to our most recent third-party recycling composition study (or audit).
In December 2017, staff developed a tracking education protocol and cart removal mechanism for repeat contaminators. The program, known as #RecycleRight, began in July 2018 and continues today. New auditing technology, adopted in August 2023, allows city employees to send residents postcards with a photo of the contamination seen in their cart.
In combination with other recycling education efforts, our community has reduced their recycling contamination rate from 36.2% in 2021, to 30.6% in 2022, to 25.5% in 2023. It works!