Worcester residents are being advised not to put any of these items in their recycling bins or their recyclables will be left at the curb.

Starting on Oct. 1, Worcester residents will need to follow new recycling rules if they don’t want their recyclables to be left at the curb.

The city announced that as of Saturday, recycling bins containing unacceptable materials will not be collected— specifically advising residents against putting their recyclables in plastic bags.

“Plastic bags can be dangerous to recycling workers, and damaging to the zero sort equipment that sorts our city’s recycling materials into categories for processing,” the city wrote in a flyer announcing the change.

Other items that are not accepted and will keep residents’ recycling from being picked up are wax coated paper items, disposable items like plastic cutlery and paper towels, food or liquid, clothing or linen and batteries, scrap metal, pans or aerosal cans.

A full list of items that are not accepted is available on the city’s website.

The city is making the change, “in an effort to become a more environmentally friendly city,” according to the city’s flyer.

If a resident’s recyclables are left at the curb, they will have to remove the contaminants and either drop off the accepted items at the city’s Residential Drop-Off Center or hold on to the items until collection the subsequent week.

The city is in the process of finalizing delivery of larger 22-gallon recycling bins that will come fitted with a vented plastic dome to prevent the materials from blowing into the street, according to the city’s website.

The bins will also list what items can be recycled in the bins and what items cannot be. Residents who want an additional bin can purchase one for $12 at 20 East Worcester St.

Hey, Worcester! One more reminder that beginning this Saturday, Oct. 1, the city will be implementing its new rules on curbside recycling. Help us spread the word and these three recycling tips so that we as a community can properly and effectively recycle! ♻️ 🗑️ 🌎 pic.twitter.com/wxKXRk8EtS

Residents can also use any type of durable, weather-proof container as a recycling bin.

Worcester Green Corps shared three tips for Worcester residents that want their recycling to be picked up: recycle in bins not bags; keep items loose, empty and dry; and know what belongs and what doesn’t.

There is also a tool a the city’s website called Recyclopedia that residents can use to search what items are eligible for curbside recycling.

This isn’t the first time the city has attempted to improve recycling.

In 2019, the city considered implementing a plastic bag program for recycling to prevent recyclables from flying out of bins and onto city streets. Now the city is looking to the larger bins with domes to prevent that nuisance.

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