Best Practices for Managing Contaminated Recycling Streams

Contamination is one of the most persistent challenges in recycling operations. Whether it's food-stained plastics or mixed-material waste, contaminated streams lower material value and can damage equipment.

The first best practice is upstream education and segregation. Working with suppliers or municipal bodies to ensure proper sorting at the source dramatically reduces contamination rates. Indo Green Enviro supports this through system design that includes pre-sorting zones.

Second, adopt automated detection and sorting systems. AI-driven sensors can identify and redirect contaminated materials in real time, reducing manual sorting errors and increasing purity of the output.

Routine cleaning and maintenance of equipment also matters. Contaminants like oils or chemicals can corrode machinery or clog filters, leading to breakdowns.

Finally, build a robust feedback loop into operations—track contamination sources, document recurring issues, and work with input partners to address them. Cleaner input = better recovery, fewer rejections, and higher profitability.