Rumpke Waste and Recycling has circulated guidance on materials that should stay out of curbside recycling carts, saying improper items can injure workers and damage sorting machinery.
Among the items the company's recycling centers identified as unacceptable are animal carcasses, bowling balls and propane tanks. Propane tanks are classified as household hazardous waste and are considered unsafe inside collection trucks, according to Rumpke. Tires go through a separate Rumpke program in the Cincinnati area, and the company says they can break machinery used in the Dayton area. Textiles, including clothing, shoes and bedsheets, tangle in the equipment.
Rumpke officials singled out batteries as a recurring and dangerous contaminant, saying they can ignite fires that destroy large volumes of recyclables in moments. Batteries appear in everyday objects ranging from greeting cards and television remotes to lawn mowers, they said. The company advises residents to use designated battery drop-off locations; some retailers, among them Lowe's and The Home Depot, offer them, and several local solid waste districts, including Montgomery and Greene counties, also accept batteries.
For materials not taken curbside, Rumpke suggests contacting a local solid waste district about alternatives. Items the program does accept include loose-leaf paper, cardboard and paperboard, along with plastic bottles, jugs, tubs and cups.
The guidance was published in mid-October as part of a seasonal, Halloween-themed message from the company.