A statewide task force, co-chaired by SWALCO's Executive Director, was formed in 2018 to address the issue of recycling contamination. The task force developed the general recycling guidelines provided on this webpage. SWALCO then took the next step and created more detailed recycling guidelines to augment the general guidelines.

To develop the more detailed guidelines, SWALCO has partnered with Recycle By City with the goal being to assist Lake County residents and businesses recycle correctly. China’s decision to significantly reduce its imports of mixed paper and plastics and to demand cleaner recyclables has rippled throughout the markets and put a spotlight on contamination. The more contamination the higher the cost to process the material at recycling facilities. In turn, those costs are passed on to households and businesses.

As you review the guidelines, please pay special attention to the items we have listed in the NO area of the guidelines. These items are causing the most problems for the recycling facilities. If we can get those items out of the recycling cart we will have improved the value of recycling significantly. 

Thank you for recycling. Gracias por reciclar.