Summit County curbside recycling is transported to WM, a large Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) in Salt Lake City. Recycle Utah staff and volunteers were able to take a tour of Waste Management, and ask a few of our burning recycling questions. Here are some answers to our FAQ’s for curbside recycling to help put you on the right path. 

As always, curbside recycling guidelines vary from county to county and are subject to change. Please check local recycling guidelines for the most up to date information. 

Can I put my recycling in a trash bag? 

No. The best way to ensure your materials are recycled is to place loose in the bin. If recyclables are bagged, they are assumed to be trash when they reach the MRF. If you line your indoor recycling bin with a trash bag, please dump recyclables straight into curbside bin without the plastic liner. 

Do my materials have to be washed prior to recycling? 

Plastics in your curbside recycling need to be free of any major food or liquid residue prior to going in your recycling bin. However, they do not need to be dishwashed or 100% clean prior to recycling. Sorted materials are cleaned as part of the recycling process. Just make sure that your materials are empty; most materials are sorted at the MRF using optical (AI) sorters, so as long as the material has a similar weight to what it would weigh completely empty, it will be identified as the correct material. For example, just scoop out all the peanut butter or yogurt out of the container, or pour out liquids from bottles before putting them in the bin.

Does curbside recycling actually get recycled? 

Yes! WM is able to recycle over 90% of material which arrives at their facility. Recycling is about saying yes, not no. As technologies advance and sorting becomes increasingly automated, more and more materials are able to be recycled curbside. Materials sorted at the MRF are connected to their end source recycler, primarily domestically, where they are processed back into packaging and other recycled products.

For more information about curbside recycling, please visit wm.com/recycle-right for more information. For a full tour of Waste Management, filmed by Recycle Utah, check out @RecycleUtah on YouTube. 

By Mia Moore