Let’s Stop Treating Recyclables Like Trash

Written By Scott Hembree

We’ve all seen or heard about recycling bins being emptied into the same compactor as the trash bins. It’s easy to be skeptical when the same-looking truck that collects trash also picks up recyclables. How do you know it’s not just heading straight to the landfill? Even if it makes it to a sorting facility, what happens if it’s rejected due to contamination? The truth is, when recyclables are compacted together in a single-stream system, contamination is inevitable.

But, should recyclables even be compacted in a trash truck? What happens when a glass bottle shatters and mixes with paper? Or when a neighbor, who isn’t great at recycling, tosses a half-full milk carton into the bin? I’ll tell you what happens - that contamination turns the entire load into a mess, making it nearly impossible to properly recycle.

Quality Matters

Now more than ever, the quality of our recycling stream matters. When China stopped accepting contaminated loads in 2018, it forced the U.S. to focus on processing our recyclables. To compete with the abundance of virgin recyclable materials, the US had to shift toward producing a higher-quality feedstock.

New methods and technologies are needed to meet the high standards of reclaimers who turn used materials into new raw materials. Virgin materials will always be cheaper, but more and more companies are committing to recycled content in their packaging to meet sustainability expectations.

Why Cities Stop Recycling

For many cities, their approach to recycling has proven problematic. The approach of simply providing every household with a recycling bin, offering minimal education, and collecting everything in a compactor truck leaves many unanswered questions. The result is often a mix of recyclables and contaminants that, upon reaching MRFs, resemble trash more than valuable materials. Contamination quickly became a major challenge.

To manage these contaminated loads, MRFs had to raise tonnage fees, making it even more expensive for cities to process recyclables. On top of that, cities needed to maintain separate fleets for recycling collection, but the final product—often low-value materials—didn't justify the cost. As a result, many cities, seeing little return on investment and struggling with public trust in their recycling programs, have started scaling back or shutting down these initiatives altogether.

The Demand Is High

The demand for high-grade recyclables, including plastics, is at an all-time high in the U.S. In fact, reclaimers often can’t meet the demand with domestic supply alone and must import recyclables from other countries, such as Mexico.

So if the demand is there, where is the supply? Unfortunately, much of it is still ending up in landfills due to lack of awareness and inefficient recycling programs. Many consumers don’t realize the value of what they throw away. Our goal is to change that by educating our customers on how their recyclables are processed and providing a clear, efficient system for handling them. You can make a difference by increasing that supply!

A New Way to Recycle

Two years ago, we set out to create a better way to recycle—one that prioritizes both efficiency and transparency. We had two goals:

✅ Make recycling as easy as possible for our customers. You just put everything in the bin we provide!
✅ Ensure customers can see the journey their recyclables take toward becoming new products.

We are a materials company, plain and simple. We see value in the items left behind after you use a product. From Amazon boxes and grocery bags to to-go cups and junk mail, our system is designed to collect those materials in a way that protects their value. That’s why we sort your recyclables at the source—right at your home.

When we arrive, we separate your materials into ten different categories in our vans. This method allows us to:

  • Bypass traditional sorting facilities.

  • Maintain the purity of each material type.

  • Send recyclables directly to manufacturers who turn them into new raw materials.

How Our System Works

Our recycling service is simple, convenient, and hassle-free:

💳 Subscribe online for $39.99 per month—your payment is processed automatically each month.
🗑 We provide dedicated bins for easy sorting.
♻️ You fill them with recyclables, including:

  • Cardboard & mixed paper

  • Aluminum cans & mixed metals

  • Glass bottles & jars

  • Flexible plastics

  • Rigid plastics (including #5 plastics like to-go cups & yogurt tubs)

  • Even Styrofoam!
    🚛 We pick up recyclables directly from where you store them—no dragging bins to the curb!
    🔄 We hand-sort materials on-site to ensure proper categorization and eliminate contamination.
    🏭 We deliver materials directly to specialized reclaimers who transform them into new raw products.

Unlike single-stream recycling, our hands-on approach allows us to accept items that many curbside programs refuse, such as glass, flexible plastics, and Styrofoam.

Where Do Your Recyclables Go?

We proudly deliver our high-quality sorted materials to reclamation facilities right here in Georgia. These specialized processors transform used materials into new raw products, keeping them out of landfills and in circulation.

📍 Here’s where your recyclables go:

  • #1 Plastic (PET bottles) → Marglen Industries (Rome, GA)

  • #2 Plastic (HDPE containers) → KW Plastics (Troy, AL) or Envision Plastics (NC)

  • #4, #5, and #6 Plastics → Nexus Circular (Atlanta, GA)

  • Aluminum & Steel Cans → SLM Recycling (Carrollton, GA)

  • Cardboard & Mixed Paper → Pratt Recycling (Atlanta, GA)

  • Glass Bottles & Jars → Strategic Materials (College Park, GA)

(Note: We are currently holding #2 plastics for our first delivery to KW Plastics (Troy, AL) or Envision Plastics (Reidsville, NC) in June.)

A Smarter, Cleaner Future for Recycling

Recycling shouldn’t be a guessing game. By eliminating contamination and sorting materials properly from the start, we make it easier for manufacturers to choose recycled materials over virgin resources.

This benefits both the environment and the economy by: 🌎 Reducing landfill waste.

🌲Reducing the amount of natural resources used for virgin materials.
🏭 Supporting local reclaimers.
♻️ Increasing the supply of high-quality recycled materials.

If you’re ready to make a real impact with your recycling efforts, join us in this new way of recycling.

🚀 Sign up today and start recycling the right way!
📍 Serving West Georgia and beyond.

Let’s stop treating recyclables like trash—because they aren’t!

Scott Hembree