Many people have become accustomed to recycling and recognize its role in maintaining a sustainable environment. It is also, for many people, as easy as putting out the trash.

However, what most people don’t realize is that early this year there was a change in the dynamics of the global markets that has a significant impact on the effectiveness of recycling.

China has been the largest player in taking in recycled material and repurposing it into new products and materials. However, China determined that too much of the recyclable material it was importing was contaminated by non-recyclables and, in January, China simply stopped importing recyclables. The U.S. recycles approximately 66 million tons of material a year. About one-third of that is exported and most of that was destined for China.

The result of this stoppage by the major player in taking recycled material is creating a major logjam of material with much of it now having to be diverted to landfills – exactly what recycling is designed to prevent.

Marek Crabbs, area director of municipal services and sales for Republic Services, which services Fountain Hills with residential trash collection and recycling, said Republic has export markets in Southeast Asia other than China. However, Crabbs recognizes that contamination is still an area of concern that the company is striving to address.

Crabbs said that within the recycling stream about 20 percent of the material is trash.

“We need to do better than that,” he said.

It takes very little trash contamination to divert an entire truckload of recyclables to the landfill.

Republic operates several recycling sorting facilities in the Valley including the one on the Salt River Community off the Beeline Highway at Gilbert Road.

Nationwide, recycling facilities report they receive a wide range of items that cannot be recycled, including artillery shells and bowling balls. These items can cause serious damage to equipment as well as create health and safety issues that interrupt the process.

There needs to be continuing education for the public to know what is acceptable for recycling and what is not, according to Crabbs.

Republic has created recyclingsimplified.com to help consumers understand the latest information on what is acceptable for recycling.

What is called “aspirational recycling” is an area of concern. There are such items that people believe should be recyclable, but are not. Consider the cardboard, but greasy, cheesy pizza box – not recyclable. Items such as egg cartons and juice cartons or boxes, also don’t go in the recycling.

There are just three basic things to remember regrading recyclables such as cardboard, paper, metal cans, plastic bottles and jugs.

The condition of the material must be empty, clean and dry, and keep it loose. Do not put recyclables in containers or bags.

With paper and cardboard, flatten the cardboard. Acceptable paper includes newspaper, magazines, office paper and common mail.

Metal cans include beverage and food cans, clean and dry.

Plastic bottles and jugs include containers for food and liquid with the lids on.

Do not put plastic bags and wrappers in the recycling. Reuse them at home or return them to the store for reuse.

No Styrofoam in the recycling.

There are also a few key things to look for when inspecting the recycling bin.

Unacceptable items include food waste, soiled or wet paper and cardboard, liquid in bottles and coffee cups.

Items should be empty, clean and dry. There should be no smell, no plastic bags and no bagged recyclables.

Fountain Hills Town Manager Grady Miller said the town has advertised for RFPs for trash and recycling collection and is currently in negotiations with one of the firms that responded. However, Miller said terms of the agreement prohibit him from identifying the company the town is negotiating with.

Provisions the town is including in discussions are a combined hazardous waste and electronics recycling event on the same day; a “spring cleaning” event for bulk collection. Miller said this event is to address issues with people dumping in the washes.

Miller said the contract will likely be ready for town council consideration in October.