The City of Turlock and Turlock Scavenger Company are encouraging Turlockers to “Recycle Clean – Keep Turlock Clean” by not contaminating the recyclables in their blue trash bin.

Turlock Scavenger currently provides residential pick-up service through a “three-cart” waste collection system. Solid Waste (black cart), commingled recyclables (blue cart), and green waste (green bin) is collected by Turlock Scavenger.

Blue carts have greatly helped the City’s efforts to comply with State of California mandates to reduce the amount of solid waste that is disposed in landfills.

California law requires all agencies, including the City of Turlock, to divert a minimum of 50 percent of its solid waste from landfills. Historically, the City of Turlock and Turlock Scavenger have met and exceeded that 50 percent goal, according to a release from the City.

However, recent numbers from the facility that processes Turlock’s recyclables indicate that the level of contamination found within blue carts exceeds industry standards. If contamination levels continue, the City would have trouble meeting State regulation requirements.

The City and Turlock Scavenger are asking Turlockers to not contaminate the recyclables they place in their blue cart.

According to the City of Turlock website, only cardboard, paper, newspaper, plastic bags, cans, glass bottles, plastic bottles and jugs, and scrap metal can be recycled in the blue carts; cans and bottles must be rinsed clean and any materials contaminated with food cannot be recycled.

For more information, you can visit the City of Turlock or Turlock Scavenger websites, or call the Municipal Services Department at 209-668-5590.