People at a Sunnyvale Smart Station manually sorting garbage.

“We have a lot of machinery, especially in the food scraps line to remove contamination, anything that doesn’t belong,” says Bailey Hall, the Zero Waste Coordinator for the city of Sunnyvale.

In early spring of 2024, after moving to a new complex, I notice my recycle bin situation deteriorates. For weeks, I dread seeing the bad recycling combinations, then reach out to Specialty; they refer me to Sunnyvale Recycling. I spoke with Bailey Hall via Zoom on November 7, 2024, to discuss the issue. 

Cindy: What do you think about my thought that if this is happening in my complex that this could reflect a larger problem that few are speaking up about? Is there any kind of hotline for misuse of the recycle bins? How do we keep track of companies not doing what they are supposed to do?

Bailey: Let’s clarify, because there are a lot of issues here. There are residents not sorting, contaminating and not understanding the importance of sorting properly. And companies that have way too much packaging on their products and produce plastic that isn’t recyclable. Which one were you talking about or was it a third?

Cindy: I feel that Specialty has problems with some of their staff who are responsible for communicating when a recycle problem occurs. When I contacted Specialty, they did not ask for my address or express concern. This makes me suspect that this may occur regularly, and it is not taken seriously. 

Cindy: When would you anticipate that the complex’s recycling problem could be acceptably resolved?

Bailey: I need to talk with the property manager about the issue. Hopefully they will be receptive. I emailed Specialty and said you need to start tagging. That’s not okay. If we do not tag, people think that it’s fine to put anything in any bin, which it’s not. I will ask the property manager to reach out to tenants, but I can’t control if they do so. 

Hopefully with the property manager working with us, Specialty tagging and people noticing a sign clarifying large cardboard is okay in the garbage, that will create change. I offer online presentations to property managers. They can give my contact information to tenants to answer their recycling questions. We have a lot of offerings, and I really hope we can use some of them. 

The Feedback Process per Ms. Bailey Hall: A small amount of contamination like less than 10% is allowed. Specialty tags carts or bins with a lot of contamination. The property manager needs to fix the issue by removing the contamination and calling Specialty back for a return trip. 

Labeling Issue – Cardboard Boxes:

I checked the garbage bin. There is no statement that communicates large cardboard boxes are okay in the garbage. What would be considered a small cardboard box size?

Garbage only emphasized in large font, cardboard communication missing.	Sign provided by Ms. Hall to clarify that cardboard is okay in garbage.

Bailey: I tend to go with a regular sized piece of paper. If it’s larger than that, it’s helpful to put it in the garbage bin because it takes up so much space. 

Cindy: We have an underused brown bin for food scraps. Would this bin be full or over full each week if it was used regularly by our eight units?

Bailey: Our formula says that an average household participating in food scrap recycling would generate around three gallons per week. If all eight units were participating to the fullest, that would mean 24 gallons. It’s a 35-gallon cart. So that’s about two-thirds full?

Cindy: In my eyes, the plastic water bottle problem is a kind of mass evil that needs a huge alert message saying, “Stop acting as if using plastic limitlessly has no consequences.” 

A mountain of unwanted plastic options.	Non-plastic water options.

Plastic water bottles are within easy reach and highly visible. Environmentally friendly alternatives which cost more are nearly invisible and, in this case, have much less stockage. 

Bailey: I  like to communicate to people that it is a problem and also not their fault. It’s a system failure. Plastics are marketed highly. Garbage is increasing. It’s honestly a big fault of the manufacturers for the overuse of plastic and packaging that isn’t recyclable. 

Most of the products that we buy are wrapped in plastic and non-recyclable packaging. In my small role, I work to make less plastic out there in the world. Next year we are going to be launching a reusables campaign where the message is dead simple. It’s literally: Hey, use a reusable water bottle. Do you need one? Here’s one.

Cindy: Yeah, and you’re not cool if you use a plastic bottle! 

Bailey: I sense that you’re a pretty environmentally conscious person. Would you agree about that?

Cindy: Yes. My feelings deepened, when I researched and saw the visuals of plastic and garbage pollution. After seeing the turtle straw video, I felt like how can anyone enjoy using plastic straws? This and other videos brought greater awareness and a level of suffering to my life because it’s not pain free to go to the market anymore.

It was less painful when I didn’t think about all that plastic staring at me in the face. But once I wanted to have a plastic-free choice the pain started coming in. My food choices became reduced. I feel punished instead of rewarded for thinking about the environment. Sometimes restaurants give me a disrespectful attitude. At one restaurant when I asked to use a paper straw, the counter person responded in a snooty tone, Oh, is that for environmental reasons?

So now, when I ask restaurants to be environmentally supportive, if they act like that’s perfectly acceptable, I’m happier to frequent them. However, if they’re reluctant, then I don’t want to go back there because I feel disrespected. (Long pause – processing feelings on both sides).

Bailey: I feel very similarly…I did want to leave you with a bit of hope and positivity because this topic is so difficult emotionally to think about. There’s a lot of the bad out there, but there are some good initiatives that are happening and other people that care too. Santa Cruz has banned all plastic food ware. It has to be fiber-based, compostable. The nearby city of Cupertino does not allow plastic food ware either. 

We in Sunnyvale are not doing that yet, but we are launching a program next year to work with restaurants that are using disposable plastic food ware. We’re giving them free money to buy reusable food ware, to use instead.

Cindy: I avoid using plastic utensils by carrying a small stainless steel spoon with me all the time. But I’m routinely provided with utensils and plastic stuff which I don’t want at restaurants. A cafe in Cupertino displayed a notice stating, if you want utensils, please request them, but then provided utensils to me. I said, “I don’t need this, and you’re supposed to ask me if I want it.” The reply was “oh.” as if this was an entirely new concept.

Bailey: Actually, it’s a California state law that they should not be doing that. It’s very difficult to enforce, but it is illegal. And I am a real pain about it to restaurants who don’t comply.

Conclusions:

We didn’t create the problem, but we are part of the solution. Restaurants need to be more supportive of clients with environmental concerns. Here are some resources: 

https://upstreamsolutions.org/reuse-onsite

https://www.reusablela.org/ 

https://upstreamsolutions.org/why-compostables-and-bioplastics-arent-the-answer

February 2025 Update: The property manager did not reach out to the tenants. Tagging is not occurring and appears highly unlikely to occur.  If a small eight-unit complex can’t be managed, what does that say for the management of Sunnyvale’s roughly 150,000 population? It is my impression that after Ms. Bailey took some time to post a letter and provide information on recycling on each door in the complex, that there has been a slight improvement in the use of recycle bins including the lonely food scrap bin.

Significant Factors Contributing to Recycle Dysfunctionality:

(1) Residents mimicking the actions of others who are not following directions.

(2) A normalization of lack of caring about recycling.

(3) Lack of consequences and timely feedback for Specialty and the residents.

(4) Low expectations of the average person being able to proficiently recycle.

I want to thank Ms. Bailey Hall for the generous use of her time. I hope everyone who reads this takes time to learn how to be kinder to the planet and develop new habits. Hope is vital but action is so much more effective.