The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has issued a plea to residents to refrain from recycling “tanglers.”
Defined as items that can entangle and disrupt the functionality of equipment at recycling processing facilities, tanglers include plastic bags, clothing, hoses, ropes, strands of lights, wires, cords, wire hangers, and chains.
These items, although often deposited with good intentions, pose safety risks to workers and potential damage to machinery.
The DEC refers to this well-intended but misguided action as “wish-cycling.” Even if the items are composed of recyclable materials, they should not be placed in recycling bins due to their tangling nature.
To assist residents in identifying recyclable and non-recyclable items, Recycle Right New York provides a comprehensive list and a search feature to determine the appropriate disposal, reuse, or recycling method for specific items.
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