Garbage in Recycling Causing Contamination

North Central Wisconsin (WFHR, WIRI, WXCO) – Garbage is showing up in recycling sent to the Portage County Solid Waste Facility. Solid Waste Director, Amanda Haffele, said in just three days, workers have pulled an astonishing variety of items from the bins this week. This includes four microwaves, multiple small appliances, four tires, many bundles of yard waste and debris, hoses, blankets, pillows, buckets of rocks, carpet, carpet padding, clothing, toys, and two loader buckets full of bagged recyclables and loose plastic films and bags.

Where recycling comes from

The Portage County Solid Waste Facility processes recycling from six counties. These include Adams, Marathon, Portage, Waupaca, Waushara, and Wood. Each municipality and county has guides on what can and cannot be recycled. Garbage in recycling is not only bad for the environment, it poses safety risks to workers.

What you can recycle

Recycling should always be loose in recycling bins, never placed in plastic bags. Bagged materials on the sorting line pose safety risks to workers. They have to pull them from the line and put them into the trash. The only things you should be putting into your recycling bins are plastic bottles, jugs and tubs, aluminum and steel cans, flattened cardboard, mixed paper, and glass bottles and jars.

Recycling guides by county

Adams County
Marathon County
Portage County
Waupaca County
Waushara County

Wood County
Nekoosa
Grand Rapids
Port Edwards
Wisconsin Rapids
Marshfield

Here’s who you can contact for items that you can’t put in the regular recycling in Wood County.