Stop wish-cycling: plastics guidance for Campbell

Campbell residents got a fresh warning on May 19 against “wish-cycling” plastics into curbside bins — a habit local recycling agencies say can contaminate loads and send more material to disposal. The reminder surfaced in local coverage tied to Campbell’s waste system and points residents back to the rules used by West Valley Recycles, the resource hub for Campbell and three neighboring cities. The City of Campbell says West Valley Collection and Recycling provides the city’s exclusive hauling service for residential and commercial landfill, recycling and organics collection. West Valley Recycles’ own materials guide says accepted recycling should be placed loosely in the blue cart and that only specific plastics belong there. ### Which plastics actually belong in Campbell’s blue cart? West Valley Recycles says Campbell residents can place empty, rinsed plastic containers in recycling, including beverage bottles, detergent bottles, yogurt and cottage cheese tubs, coffee-cup lids, flowerpots, buckets and other plastics labeled No. 1 through No. 7. The agency’s residential guide also lists prescription bottles, takeout food containers, plastic crates and some rigid plastic household items as acceptable. (msn.com) The guide says those items should be empty and rinsed before they go in the cart. The same guide tells residents that all recyclable materials must fit loosely inside the container with the lid closed. ### Why do plastic bags and wraps cause so much trouble? Santa Clara County’s “What goes where?” guide says film plastics such as grocery bags, produce bags, bubble wrap and shrink wrap require separate handling rather than ordinary curbside recycling. (westvalleyrecycles.com) West Valley Recycles’ residential guide gives the same instruction, telling residents to bundle film plastic in a clear plastic bag and knot the top. San Jose’s Environmental Services Department, describing a similar regional problem, says plastic bags are no longer collected at curbside because they interfere with recycling machinery and contribute to repair costs. (westvalleyrecycles.com) That explanation matches the broader warning behind anti–wish-cycling campaigns: materials that look recyclable can still disrupt sorting equipment or end up as residue if they are put in the wrong stream. (reducewaste.santaclaracounty.gov) ### Does contamination really send material to the landfill? West Valley Recycles’ FAQ, last updated June 12, 2025, says GreenWaste’s material recovery facility “consistently achieves recovery rates of 85% or higher” for the service area that includes Campbell. The same FAQ says some material still fails to be recycled because of contamination, including food or liquid residue, and because of equipment losses. GreenWaste’s recovery figure is the clearest local measure available, but the FAQ stops short of saying every item placed in a blue cart is recycled. (sanjoseca.gov) Instead, it says accepted recycling is mostly recovered while contamination reduces the amount that can be processed successfully. ### Where should residents check before tossing a questionable item? The City of Campbell says its garbage and recycling page routes residents to West Valley Collection and Recycling for service questions and to West Valley Recycles for program information. (westvalleyrecycles.com) West Valley Recycles describes itself as the main recycling and waste-management resource for Campbell, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno and Saratoga. CalRecycle says Californians should use local curbside rules and the state’s recycling locator for items that are not accepted in household bins. (westvalleyrecycles.com) West Valley Recycles’ FAQ also points residents to changing statewide rules under SB 343, AB 1201 and SB 54, which it says are meant to reduce confusion over what can carry recycling claims and what local systems can actually process. ### What should Campbell residents do next? Campbell’s official service page lists West Valley Collection and Recycling at (408) 283-9250 for starting or changing service and for reporting problems. (campbellca.gov) West Valley Recycles’ website also directs residents to its residential how-to guide, educational library and customer service contacts for item-by-item disposal questions. The next public checkpoint in Campbell’s waste system is the West Valley Solid Waste Management Authority board schedule posted by the city: first Thursdays in February, May, September and November at Monte Sereno City Hall. (calrecycle.ca.gov) For day-to-day sorting questions, the fastest route remains the local guide and customer support line listed on the city and West Valley Recycles websites. (campbellca.gov)