Most people in Big Bear Lake want to recycle correctly. The problem usually isn’t effort. Instead, a few small habits can spoil a whole batch of recyclables.

Here are five habits that matter most.

Food residue is the main reason recyclables get rejected. A container with dried sauce or grease can contaminate other items, and if there’s too much, the whole load might be thrown away.

You don’t need to scrub. A quick rinse is enough. Just make sure the container is clean enough that it wouldn’t smell after a week in the garage.

This might feel odd, since it’s normal to want to recycle as much as possible. But wishcycling, which means putting something in the blue bin and hoping it’s right, does more harm than just throwing it away.

One wrong item can jam the sorting machines or ruin a batch. If you’re not sure, it’s safer to use the trash. Even better, check our Recycling Guide at bigbeardisposal.com to make sure.

Don’t put your recyclables in a plastic bag before putting them in the cart. Bagged items usually can’t be sorted and are taken off the line. Put everything in the cart loose so it can be processed.

Cardboard, boxes, and plastic containers take up more space than needed. Flattening them means fewer trips, fuller loads, and better use of your cart. If a cardboard bundle is too big for the cart, tie it with strong string and set it next to the cart.

Remove lids from bottles and jars before recycling. Also, double-check small items. Some things that seem recyclable, like pill bottles, often aren’t accepted, while some items people think are trash actually are.

Recycling only works when materials are clean and sorted. Every contaminated load is a missed chance to reuse materials and ends up in a landfill. In Big Bear Valley, where the natural landscape is special, doing this right really matters.

For a full list of what’s accepted, visit our Recycling Guide. If you have CRV bottles and cans, our Buy-Back Center at 41970 Garstin Drive will pay you for them, Tuesday through Saturday.