Here are some tips for upping your recycling game in Tacoma

For Tacoma residents who want to learn to be better recyclers, Solid Waste Management division manager Lewis Griffith emphasized the following: Keep your recyclables clean, dry and empty.

Griffith said it's critical that people review what's allowed in their commingled recycling bin since it can vary widely from municipality to municipality.

In Tacoma, for example, glass is separate from paper products, plastic and aluminum.

Because the contamination rate has to be incredibly low for other countries to take our recycling at the moment, he said that if there is any doubt about whether you should recycle something, it's better to just throw it out.

"If it is not on the list, or if there is any question, it should go in the garbage," Griffith said.

Here's an example that might seem counter-intuitive: Plastic tubs such as yogurt containers are recyclable, but the flat lids should go in the garbage even if they are made out of the same plastic material, Griffith said.

"This is because they are flat and will get sorted into the paper stream by shape and weight, which is considered cross-contamination of the mixed paper materials," he said.

Also, plastic bags are recyclable, but they need to be combined into one plastic bag and tied closed. Loose bags can wreak havoc on the recycling equipment.

Another important thing to note: Some materials that are not accepted in the curbside recycling bin can be taken to the Recovery and Transfer Center Recycle Center at 3510 S. Mullen St. A broader range of recycled materials can be taken there because they are sorted by the customer, so there is less cross-contamination.

"Improving the quality of the recycling materials collected will not completely solve the problem, but it will help to reduce cross-contamination and ensure that the materials that are collected are marketable," Griffith said.

Here are a few tips on what can be recycled and how, courtesy of the city's website:

▪ Cardboard should be flattened.

▪ Recyclable paper includes newspaper, magazines, catalogs, office and computer paper, paper bags and junk mail.

▪ Paperboard boxes: cereal boxes, crackers, packaging (but remove any liners, they are not recyclable), shredded paper strips (place inside a paper bag), paper egg cartons (no Styrofoam), paper towel rolls/toilet paper rolls, frozen food boxes, ice cream cartons, milk and juice cartons.

▪ Plastic bottles: soda, water, juice. In addition shampoo bottles can be recycled, and screw-on caps can stay on.

▪ Plastic jars: peanut butter, jam, mayonnaise.

▪ Jugs: milk, laundry/dish detergent.

▪ Tubs: yogurt, margarine, sour cream, cottage cheese — but remove the flat lids, as noted above.

▪ Plastic bags: grocery, department store, dry cleaning (put them into one bag and tie it closed — loose bags get tangled in the equipment).

▪ Metal: aluminum foil and trays, aluminum and tin cans, empty aerosol cans (if there’s still product left, it could be considered hazardous waste and should be taken to the Household Hazardous Waste Facility at the Tacoma Recovery & Transfer Center).

▪ Glass: Rinse glass containers and place them in the small blue bin.

▪ Batteries: Seal household batteries (rechargeable, alkaline) inside a plastic bag and place in the glass bin.

▪ Hazardous materials, which could include household cleaners, garden chemicals and light bulbs, should be taken to the Household Hazardous Waste Facility at the Tacoma Recovery & Transfer Center.

Correction: An earlier version of this story said latex paint could be brought to the Household Hazardous Waste Facility at the Tacoma Recovery & Transfer Center. Latex paint is not accepted at that facility.

This story was originally published June 29, 2018 at 5:31 PM.