Am I the only one who took years to realize I was overfilling the recycling bin?

I live in a small apartment in Portland and for about 3 years I kept jamming the recycling bin full until the lid wouldn't close. I figured more recycling meant I was helping more. Then last month the collection guys left a note saying overfilled bins get skipped. I called the city and they told me loose items on top just fly out and become litter anyway. Now I only fill it about 3/4 full and break down boxes flat. Has anyone else been doing this wrong for way too long?

2 comments

2 Comments

kaip111mo ago

Hang on, it's actually better to leave boxes intact for the recyclers since they sort by shape and size, and flat boxes can get mixed into the wrong pile. They usually want you to leave boxes whole and just flatten them on the side of the bin, not break them down into tiny pieces. Also, 3/4 full is smart but check if your city uses those blue carts with a weight limit, since Portland might have different rules than other places.

emmam671mo ago

Huh, the "sort by shape and size" part got me. I always thought breaking them down was helping. But I guess the machines are looking for that box shape. You changed my mind on this one, I'll keep them whole from now on.

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