A worker looks over a pile of recyclable items to be sorted at the GreenWaste San Jose Material Recovery Facility on Thursday, March 28, 2019, in San Jose, Calif. According to a 2019 report from The Recycling Partnership, contamination costs the U.S. recycling system at least $300 million annually. Common examples of contamination include putting trash in recycling bins. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group)
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City, state should
make recycling easier
Re: “San Jose is making a mess of recycling responsibilities” (Page A1, March 28).
I read your article regarding how San Jose handles recycling responsibilities with interest. The blame in this article is on people who put things in recycling that don’t belong there or who put contaminated materials in recycling. This is more challenging than it sounds.
Every community in the Bay Area has a different standard. If I work in one community and live in another, it is easy to make mistakes. Let’s share the blame with manufacturers who need to brand materials identifying them as recyclable, and establish a standard that is the same throughout the state. Throw in composting and the situation is exacerbated.
We all need to work at creating an effective system to reduce trash.
Linda Allen
Saratoga