Republic Services has not had to curtail its recycling collections during the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions; however, the company is reporting an increase in contaminated loads.

According to Stephen Herring, Municipal Relationship Manager for Republic, the company had noticed previously very clean recycling loads.

“We’re starting to have more contamination and we had started hearing reports that we were landfilling recyclables,” Herring said. “To be clear, we never stopped recycling. The conversation about COVID-19 was that if a closure of a recycling facility happened due to an outbreak or other reason we asked [communities] for permission to landfill recyclables in that event, which was granted to us.

“Thankfully this never happened so recycling has remained intact through this pandemic.”

Pizza boxes, not surprisingly, lead the way in contamination of recycling loads. They have never been acceptable for recycling.

Also, Herring said they are seeing Styrofoam, bagged trash, food waste and small non-recyclable items like pillows.

Herring said he hopes this information will clear up any confusion or misunderstanding regarding collection services, and he appreciates the efforts to have good, clean recycling loads from Fountain Hills.