The following is an excerpt on better recycling and recycling “contamination” from Mayor Laredo’s June 11, 2026 newsletter:
Let’s Recycle Better
Recycling works, and what goes into our recycling carts (and how we put it in our carts) matters.
More than 90% of the accepted materials collected through curbside recycling are sold to manufacturers and turned into new products. That includes cardboard, paper, and empty bottles, cans, jugs, and tubs made of plastic, metal, and glass.
The challenge is contamination. When residents toss questionable items into their recycling cart it creates problems that can send otherwise recyclable materials to the trash.
Back in 2018, we asked for help cleaning up our recycling – and you delivered by cutting the contamination rate in half, from 18% to 9% which is not only good for the environment, but also good for the budget. When we reduce our contamination, our recycling has a higher value and that is reflected in our pricing.
Now we’ve slid back into old habits and the protocols have evolved.
Recent recycling audits in Newton found that 22% of the materials we put into our recycling carts were not recyclable.
And even items that are recyclable, like paper grocery bags can cause problems with our recycling program.
The biggest culprit? Putting our recycling in bags. Plastic bags have never been recyclable in Newton’s bins. Furthermore, they jam the recycling machines so they are double trouble. What we have recently learned is that even though paper grocery bags are recyclable in our carts, they have been causing problems when other recyclables like cans or bottles are inside the the paper bags within the bin.
Recyclables placed inside plastic bags are never accepted.
Paper grocery bags filled with other recyclable materials is never accepted. Dump your recyclables from your paper bag into your bin and then place the paper into the bin for proper recycling.
Simply remembering to place all recyclable items loosely in the cart will make a big impact to reduce our contamination.