Recycling point inspection checklist

A recycling point stops working the moment it gets contaminated. It only takes someone dropping a bag of general waste into the paper container for the whole stream to lose its value and end up in landfill like the rest. Recycling does not fail for lack of containers, but through poor segregation and no control over what actually goes in.

Inspecting the recycling point regularly lets you catch cross-contamination early, fix signage nobody understands and schedule collections before overfilling. It also shows which streams are working and which need user education, which is where the recovery rate is really won or lost.

Extended producer responsibility legislation also pushes producers and waste managers to demonstrate recovery targets with real traceability: who collected, how much and to which recovery destination it went. An orderly record by stream and by authorised manager is what sustains that reporting and keeps recycling from being just talk.

How to use it with CaptaLog

Copy the template to your account and the person in charge inspects the station from their phone, even with no signal. Each stream is stored with a photo, fill level and contamination status; findings — a contaminated container, illegible signage, a late collection — become actions assigned to the manager or the team. The record by stream and by recycler feeds the target reporting and gives traceability for regulatory purposes.