Many materials can go into your single-stream recycling bin but some items shouldn't even if they are technically recyclable. Contaminants that end up at the Boulder County Recycling Center result in inefficiencies and damage to the equipment and can be costly to address. With your help we can combat this problem.What are these things?Our biggest enemy is plastic bags. Plastic bags whether full or empty do not belong in your recycling bin. Instead, place recyclables loose in your bin. Otherwise, when these reach the recycling center the bags clog the machines requiring one to two hours per day to remove by hand and ultimately end up in the landfill. Clean and dry plastic bags can be recycled at participating grocery stores, the Longmont Diversion Center or Eco-Cycle CHaRM.Shredded paper is another trouble maker at the Recycling Center. The pieces are too small to sort, falling through the cracks of the sorting machines, sticking to the conveyor belts and ending up on the floor. Think twice before you shred, shredding reduces the number of times paper can be recycled.Liquids and foods left in containers is just plain gross-splashing on staff, splattering on the floors, making machinery sticky and inefficient. Liquid left in aerosol cans pose a danger of the pressure inside causing a harmful explosion.Please empty containers before recycling.Hazardous waste such as paint, home and garden products, cleaners and automotive products cause a health risk to both people and the environment if not handled properly. These products should be taken to the Boulder County Hazardous Materials Management Facility for recycling or safe disposal.Medical waste such as syringes, needles and medication, as well as materials like diapers and sanitary products are not recyclable and endanger staff. Please refer to www.colorado.gov/CDPHE for disposal options.Ammunition is another dangerous contaminant and should never be placed in the recycling bin. Contact local police, sheriff or fire department for disposal.Scrap metal damages our equipment which is not designed to process it. Scrap metal can instead be taken to recycling centers located in Longmont, Allenspark and Nederland or other facilities including the Eco-Cycle CHaRM and Western Disposal.Ceramics and non-recyclable glass such as lightbulbs, glassware, mirrors and windows can create dangerous flaws in new glass bottles. Even a small piece of this material can result in a batch of recyclable glass being sent to the landfill. Intact windows can be donated to the Resource Center Yard to be reused in another project. Ceramics can be recycled at the Eco-Cycle CHaRM.Broken windows, lightbulbs, glassware and mirrors should be thrown in the trash.Styrofoam and other plastics not listed in the guidelines are not accepted at the Boulder County Recycling Center. However, the Eco-Cycle CHaRM will accept block Styrofoam and large rigid plastics such as patio chairs, toys, storage bins and coolers for recycling.When in doubt, check your recycling guidelines for acceptable materials or visit www.bouldercountyrecycles.org. Together we can make a zero waste community. Remember to reduce, reuse, recycle and compost.