Dirty diapers are the number one problem for the city of San Antonio's Solid Waste Management Department and now, you might be charged $50 for it, if you don't dispose of them correctly.
"What we're talking about are dirty diapers and the improper discarding of that. We're seeing them in the blue and green carts instead of the brown carts. They should be treated as trash and unfortunately we're seeing a number of it coming through the process facility," Solid Waste Management Director David McCary said.
Dirty diapers belong in the garbage, but many people put them in recycling, which contaminates it. Last year, it cost the city almost $1.2 million.
"We're having to do a special service of that blue cart just so that it can be properly disposed of because once you mix it with other recyclable materials, commodities are great, but it does create a hazard for us," McCary said.
Just to clear up any confusion, most homes in San Antonio have a blue and green recycling bin and a brown trash bin. Most paper, plastic. glass and metal can be put in the blue bin - you can't put aluminum foil, light bulbs or dirty diapers in there. Outdoor shrubbery and leftover food can go in the green organic bins. Basically anything else, except electronic waste and dead animals can go in the brown bins.
There's a price to pay for not paying attention. Right now, the fee for improper disposal is $25, but solid waste is proposing a special $50 penalty for anyone who puts dirty diapers in the recycling bin.