EverestLabs lists 5 curbside prohibitive items

Millions of dollars have been invested to properly recycle batteries and obsolete electronics, but that does not mean those items are welcome in curbside recycling bins, according to the founder of one material recovery facility (MRF) equipment company.

JD Ambati, founder and CEO of California-based robotic sorting technology provider EverestLabs, has created a list of five things he says can’t be recycled. It might be more accurate to say some of the listed items are heading down the wrong path when they are introduced into a municipal recycling bin.

On Ambati’s list are batteries, ceramics, electronic scrap, sharp objects and medical waste and tangling items such as cords and hoses.

Batteries pose a significant challenge for recycling facilities because of the risk of fires caused by batteries discarded in curbside recycling bins.

"These fires endanger the lives of waste and recycling workers and can lead to prolonged shutdowns or the complete destruction of facilities," the company says.

Regarding electronic scrap, EverestLabs recommend homeowners find a local organization that will recover unwanted electronics.

The company lists garden hoses, extension cords and holiday lights as well as tangling Items that are so long they can get wrapped around other items and disrupt production at a MRF. “It can also hurt machinery and result in a recycling facility having to shut down,” EverestLabs adds.

Ceramics make the list because they have very few recycling applications and can be harmful when introduced to furnaces designed to remelt glass.

Medical waste and sharp objects like needles, knives, hangers and antennas are a huge safety hazard to people working at recycling manufacturing plants, according to EverestLabs, which instead recommends finding the nearest medical disposal box for medical waste.