HICKORY — Plastic bags, batteries, and biological waste are three of the most common contaminants in Hickory recycling, the City of Hickory said April 22, 2026.
The city said recycling keeps usable material out of the landfill only when the right items go in the bin. Keeping those three contaminants out of the blue rollout protects the system.
Plastic bags, grocery sacks, and film wrap tangle in sorting machinery, cause breakdowns, and create safety hazards. They cannot go in curbside recycling. Many grocery stores and retailers have drop-off bins for bags and film.
Rechargeable and single-use batteries can start fires in trucks or at the plant; even small batteries can spark under pressure. The city said batteries belong at household hazardous-waste sites or approved drop-offs, not in curbside rollouts.
Food scraps, yard waste, pet waste, and other organics contaminate clean recyclables. The city said one bin of biological waste can cause an entire truckload—tons of plastic, paper, and metal that might otherwise be recycled—to be rejected and landfilled. Rollouts should stay clean, dry, and free of organics.
It takes one contaminated cart to contaminate a collection truck, the city said. Recycling right is a shared job. Tips are at www.hickorync.gov/sanitation.
The April 22 notice does not list a fine, a pickup schedule change, or how many loads were rejected last year.
Official release from City of Hickory, April 22, 2026. https://www.hickorync.gov/recycle-right-keep-bags-batteries-and-biological-waste-out-bin
