The Solid Waste Management Authority on Tuesday approved Collections Change Order 25, formally removing a small set of materials from the list of acceptable recyclables and directing clearer outreach with its franchise hauler, Recology.

Authority staff told commissioners the change is mostly a clarification that aligns local guidance with current processing and market realities. "Staff recommend approval of Collections Change Order 25," the authority director said during the discussion, adding that the revision clarifies that two numbered items previously on the list are no longer acceptable.

The change order finalizes what staff described as long-running, informal practice: Recology and the authority have for some time treated certain items as unacceptable for recycling, and staff said the update simply brings franchise documentation into alignment with current operations. Staff said the standard for plastics remains focused on tubs, jars, bottles and jugs rather than resin identification codes.

Commissioners asked questions about how the change will be communicated to residents and whether the local waste stream will grow as a result. Staff pointed to an upcoming set of educational materials — with fewer words and more pictures — that will replace the older labels and stickers. Staff also noted that the major recent change to the stream occurred when rigid foam (Styrofoam) was moved out of recycling; the newly removed items are not expected to create a similar large-volume shift.

The authority voted unanimously to adopt Collections Change Order 25. Commissioners Tompkins, Wright, Tinkler, Short and Chair Wilson all voted yes.

The director said staff will continue to coordinate with Recology "so that if in future Recology starts becoming aware that there are challenges in marketing any of the materials on our recyclables list, that we start those discussions in a timely manner."