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!

Recycling inspectors use phones with GPS services as they drive around to audit carts before they are emptied. Since we have a small team of three people for 90,000+ carts, we occasionally add recycling inspections to the duties of additional employees to increase inspections coverage.

The #RecycleRight program was developed to promote and enforce recycling guidelines. It’s important that potentially dangerous garbage items don’t end up in the recycling. Each tag is tracked as a unique work item in an app-based system (see image below). 

After six months, a tag automatically rolls off the address to allow inconsistent, infrequent contaminators to learn from the education notices and fix mistakes without unnecessarily removing their recycling cart.  

A recycling cart may receive a sticker on their cart and/or a contamination notice postcard in the mail. Not all homes that get a postcard will have had a sticker on their cart because recycling drivers do not exit their vehicles to put stickers on carts. 

Thank you for Recycling Right: The resident had all recyclables in their cart or just a minor issue. Residents are not being virtually tagged to receive a contamination notice postcard.

Contamination Notice Postcards

These are sent by mail and indicate the date, contamination found, and if it is the first, second, or third notice. A photo of the cart and a list of the contamination found are included on the postcard.

If recycling is tagged for contamination four times in a six-month period, the cart will be removed for continued violation of our recycling guidelines. After six months, a tag automatically rolls off the address to allow infrequent contaminators to learn from the education notices and fix mistakes without having their recycling cart removed.

Example Contamination Notice Postcards

We know recycling can sometimes be confusing, so here are a few ideas to make your life easier and greener!

1. Recycling is as easy as 1-2-3. Only recycle 1) paper and cardboard, 2) metal food and drink cans, and 3) plastic bottles, tubs, and jugs. 
   
   
2. All recycling should be loose and free in the recycling card. Do not bag, bundle, or tie your recycling. 
   
   
3. Empty, clean, and dry. Make sure you give bottles and jars a quick rinse. It doesn't have to be sparkling clean, but we know you don't want pests in recycling, and neither do we!
   
   
4. Sign up for reminders. The GSO Collects App is a great way to never forget recycling day. If you have lots of recycling, it can be hard to go 2 weeks between pickups. We won't be adding additional pickup days anytime soon, but you can make sure to never miss a collection with GSO Collects. Sign up for emails, texts, tweets, and phone calls on the web-based tool. 
   
   
5. What goes where? What you're holding in your hand isn't always on our recycling guide. Use the What Goes Where search feature in the GSO Collects app, or web-based tool to search virtually any item imaginable to find out how to properly dispose of it. 
   
   
6. Label your recycling cart. Do the kids or your significant other get the brown and green cans mixed up? Try labeling it. It makes for a great personal touch too.  
   
   
7. Follow us on Nextdoor, Facebook, or Twitter.