Am I Recyclable? "Tanglers"
"Tanglers”
Tanglers are any item that can wrap around equipment at a recycling processing facility — this includes, but is not limited to:
- Plastic bags
- Plastic film (think thin plastic wrap that you put around food or plastic that is put around plastic bottles to keep them together)
- Clothing
- Cords
- Ropes
- String lights
- Hoses
- Wires
- Chains
- Blinds cords
- Metal hangers
Tanglers are a part of a longer list of recycling contaminates (items that cannot be recycled curbside, that are placed in the recycling bin). Along with batteries, electronics, Styrofoam, and food waste, tanglers are one of the worst culprits that can’t be recycled, but that people put in their curbside recycling.
There is no way to be certain how these tanglers find their way into a curbside recycling bin, but one guess is “wish-cycling” — well-intentioned recycling that ends up creating more problems than solutions.
“Wish-cycling” often occurs when someone thinks an item, like a hose or metal chain, has value and can be made into something else through curbside recycling. We accept these items at our EcoDrop locations in Utica & Rome where they can be recycled or sent for reuse – always check ohswa.org for items that can be recycled. Otherwise, although you may wish you can, you cannot recycle your hose in your curbside recycling!
By recycling more of the basics – clean cardboard and paper, plastic bottles, containers and jugs, and aluminum cans – will help keep our recyclable resources in use and out of landfills.
Learn more about acceptable curbside recycling materials.