Many people are unaware of certain recycling mistakes that get made. Experts say that roughly 25 percent of recycling is actually trash. 

For instance, paper towels and tissues are not recyclable, as well as styrofoam and other items. Some, like paper plates, can certainly be deceiving. 

China is currently the world’s biggest buyer of recycled materials. They’ve stopped a lot of the importing of it, causing some recycling programs to be cut back on. 

Companies such as Waste Management employ workers 24-hours a day, 7 days a week, to sort the trash out of recycling.

Take a look as three residents pull out their recycle bins and let Mitch Hedlund from Recycle Across America peek inside.

You can learn more about recycling in all areas by visiting Earth 911 here.