BEND, OR -- Central Oregon Residents are asked to be more careful about what they put in recycling bins. On January first, China stopped taking most recycling from western nations, claiming recyclables were contaminated with trash and organic material. In Oregon, Marion County and the City of Medford are now strictly monitoring what residents put in recycle bins. 

Deschutes County has yet to make any changes; however, Bend Garbage & Recycling President Brad Bailey says making sure items are properly sorted keeps costs down and things flowing smoothly. Bailey says, "In order to have a good recycling commodity, it needs to be clean all the way through the process, and it will help ensure that that item actually gets recycled in the end and doesn't become a contaminant later."

He says if you're not sure what is recyclable, Bend Garbage staff, each garbage hauler and their website are all excellent resources for frequently asked questions or to request a new copy of the Recycling Guide. "It's really important that we follow the guide and not put anything in there that isn't listed there. Even though there might be a recycling symbol on the item, if it's not listed in the guide for the commingled stream, it shouldn't go in there."