How to Reduce Contamination in Recycling and Compost Streams

December 4, 2025

Foodservice

How to Reduce Contamination in Recycling and Compost Streams

Walk into any cafeteria, breakroom, or lobby, and you’ll likely see multiple bins lined up together: one for trash, one for recycling, and maybe one for compost.

Even with the best intentions, most people hesitate before tossing something in. “Is this cup recyclable?” “Does that paper plate go in the compost? That split second of uncertainty is often where contamination begins.

When it comes to waste diversion programs, contamination is one of the biggest obstacles to success. A single wrong item can ruin an entire bin of recyclables or compost, sending it straight to the landfill instead.

Reducing contamination isn’t just about keeping up appearances. It’s about saving money, meeting sustainability goals, and ensuring that everyone’s efforts actually make a difference.

In this article, we’ll break down what causes contamination and how your organization can build a cleaner, more efficient recycling and composting program.

What Does Contamination Mean?

In recycling and compost programs, contamination occurs when items are placed in the wrong bin or when recyclable or compostable materials are mixed with non-recyclable or non-compostable waste.

Some common examples include:

Coffee cups with liquid left inside contaminating paper recycling
Plastic forks tossed into compost bins that won’t break down
Food residue and grease left on cardboard pizza boxes preventing recycling

These small mistakes add up. If contamination levels are too high, entire loads of recycling or compost are rejected and sent to landfill. This not only wastes time and money; it’s also harmful for the environment.

According to the EPA, U.S. recycling contamination rates are around 25%, meaning one in every 4 items placed in a recycling bin doesn’t belong there. That’s a serious challenge for sustainability programs in any organization.

What are the Main Causes of Contamination?

Contamination doesn’t typically happen because people don’t care; more often, it occurs because the system around them isn’t clear, consistent, or convenient.

Confusing or Inconsistent Signage
Limited Knowledge of Accepted Materials
Food and Liquid Residue
Inconvenient Bin Placement
Lack of Education or Engagement
Unlabeled or Unstandardized Containers

1. Confusing or Inconsistent Signage

Unclear or mismatched signage can lead to guesswork. For example, if one bin says “plastic bottles only” and another says “all plastics,” people can easily become confused.

2. Limited Knowledge of Accepted Materials

Each community’s recycling and compost rules can differ from one another. Compostable plastics, for example, often require specialized industrial composting facilities that may not exist locally.

3. Food and Liquid Residue

This is a very common issue. Even if the material is accepted, leftover food and drink can contaminate entire loads of recyclables or compostables. As little as a few unemptied soda cans can cause big problems at sorting facilities.

4. Inconvenient Bin Placement

If the right bin isn’t nearby, people tend to default to the trash. Inconsistent or inconvenient placement increases contamination.

5. Lack of Education or Engagement

Without proper training and reminders, even motivated people can make mistakes. Engagement and ownership are critical for the long-term success of your program.

5. Unlabeled or Unstandardized Containers

When bins look similar or lack clear signage or color cues, users rely on guesswork. Again, consistency matters here.

Why Does Contamination Matter?

High contamination rates have real-world consequences:

Increased disposal costs from rejected loads and contamination fees.
Reduced recycling and composting efficiency, as more material ends up in landfills.
Environmental setbacks, including higher greenhouse gas emissions.
Lower morale among those who feel their efforts don’t make an impact.

Reducing contamination ensures that your efforts in sustainability make an impact and deliver real results.

8 Practical Steps to Reduce Contamination

The most successful programs make recycling and composting simple, consistent, and visible. Here are some practical steps you can take to get started:

Standardize Your Bin System
Educate and Engage Your Facility’s Patrons
Conduct Regular Waste Audits
Improve Bin Placement and Accessibility
Address Common Problem Items
Choose the Right Compostable and Recyclable Products
Involve Custodial and Facilities Teams
Measure, Report, and Celebrate Progress

1. Standardize Your Bin System

Consistency is the key starting point for a clean waste stream.

Here are some ways you can standardize your bin system:

Color-code your bins. Blue for recycling, green for compost, and black or gray for landfill.
Consider installing multi-stream bins around your facility.
Use shaped lids. Bottle-shaped openings for recyclables, larger circular holes for compostables, or slots for paper.
Add clear, image-based labels. Include photos of your actual recyclable or compostable products to help eliminate guesswork.

Uniformity across your facility helps build confidence and form good habits.

2. Educate and Engage Your Facility’s Patrons

Education must be an ongoing process. Not one and done.

Here are some ways you can educate and engage your facility’s patrons:

Check out Imperial Dade’s library of sustainability-focused articles and video content.
Host kickoff sessions. A short orientation session or designating a sustainability day can help reinforce best practices.
Post visual reminders. Hang posters and digital signage near collection points.
Reinforce through communication. Add quick sustainability tips into newsletters or morning announcements.
Create champions. Form a “Green Team” or employee sustainability committee to model good behavior.

A concept of waste separation and recycling in business office.

When people understand why their actions matter, compliance and participation tends to skyrocket.

3. Conduct Regular Waste Audits

Waste audits can help you identify which items cause the most contamination and where education is needed.

After sorting a sample of your waste:

Share the results with your community.
Highlight improvements over time (“Contamination is down 15% this quarter!”).
Adjust bin placement or signage accordingly.

Data-driven insights typically make it easier to show progress and maintain motivation.

Need help with conducting a waste audit in your facility? Imperial Dade can help with that! Reach out to one of your local experts.

4. Improve Bin Placement and Accessibility

Every trash bin should have a matching recycling and compost bin beside it. This is called the “bin-trio” approach.

Here are some placement tips to help improve accessibility:

Keep them visible and easily accessible.
Place them in high-traffic areas such as entrances, breakrooms, and cafeterias.
Avoid single, standalone trash bins. They encourage “lazy tossing.”

Pro Tip: “Lazy tossing” occurs when recyclable or compostable items are thrown into a trash bin because there are no convenient recycling or compost bins nearby.

When sorting is convenient, contamination will likely decrease.

5. Address Common Problem Items

Focus on the items that most often end up in the wrong place.

Addressing these key items can quickly improve stream quality.

6. Choose the Right Compostable and Recyclable Products

Not all “green” products are created equally. Before recycling or composting, confirm that your local hauler or compost facility can actually process them.

You’ll need to:

Look for BPI (Biodegradable Products Institute) certification for compostables.
Use post-consumer recycled content for recyclables.
Confirm recyclable / compostable product acceptance with your hauler.
Avoid “wishcycling” items that sound sustainable that actually aren’t.

Choosing compatible products helps reduce confusion and stay compliant.

7. Involve Custodial and Facilities Teams

Having your custodial team on board is essential for program success. Train them on proper sorting, collection, and identification of contamination.

Support them with:

Color-coded can liners for each waste type.
Ongoing feedback on contamination trends.
Recognition for maintaining clean streams.

A small thank you goes a long way. Your staff sees the results of sorting firsthand and can be powerful advocates for improvement in your facility.

8. Measure, Report, and Celebrate Progress

Keep your momentum going by sharing visible results.

Create dashboards that track recycling and composting rates.
Celebrate milestones (“1 ton of compost diverted!”)
Offer recognition programs for classrooms, teams, or departments that excel.

Positive reinforcement helps turn recycling and composting into community pride rather than a chore.

Building a Culture of Accountability

Reducing contamination is more than just a logistics problem. It’s also a cultural one. The goal is to move beyond compliance and toward shared ownership.

That starts with communication. Leaders should consistently reinforce why these efforts matter—not just for cost savings, but also for community and environmental health.

When people understand that small actions like rinsing a container, reading a label, or choosing the right bin adds up to real impact, contamination tends to drop organically.

The Long-Term Payoff

Programs that reduce contamination deliver long-term benefits that extend beyond waste management.

Some of these include:

Lower costs for hauling and disposal
Cleaner, safer environments
Improved compliance with local mandates
Higher recycling / composting engagement
Better reputation among customers and the community

These benefits compound over time, especially as your facility works toward a circular economy mindset where materials are valued as resources, not waste.

Final Thoughts

Reducing contamination in recycling and compost streams doesn’t happen overnight. It takes planning, training, and persistence, but the payoff is worth it. Every correctly sorted bottle, can, and food scrap brings your organization closer to its sustainability goals and sets a positive example for others to follow.

Start small if you need to: update signage, host a training session, or conduct a mini waste audit. Each step you take builds momentum and makes a difference.

And remember, you don’t have to do it alone.

Reach out to your local Imperial Dade location for expert support on waste diversion strategies, sustainable product selection, and facility solutions tailored to your needs. Together, we can create cleaner streams, stronger programs, and a lasting impact on the world around us, one bin at a time.