My city has a $300 fine for putting the wrong thing in recycling. You are also supposed to wash everything going in the bin and you aren't permitted to put it in a plastic bag before you put it in the bin, even though the plastic bag is recyclable. They haven't fined me yet. I refuse to wash that which is refuse.
I do too. I once pointed out to our mayor that I was not going to be washing garbage while we were on lawn watering restrictions. He denied knowing that the garbage company required such.
I suggested that they hire the homeless to sort and wash garbage rather than expecting the hard working citizens of the city to provide this service. The mandates are on the garbage company not on the citizen here, I believe.
Multiply your home by a thousand , and think of how many gallons of water are used washing garbage.
Crazy.
"My city has a $300 fine for putting the wrong thing in recycling."
A city I lived it, did to. A neighbor complained my beer cans stunk, and I got a nasty note.
My solution --- throw the beer cans in the regular trash and stopped all recycling.
Oh, hell. I don't even like to wash stuff I do plan to re-use! That's why we have a very powerful dishwasher.
No way would you find me washing something I'm about to chuck.
What's the point of washing? The stuff gets cleaned anyway during the recycling, and in any event, why would you want to spend money on helping the recycling company to make profit without sharing it with you?
If it is the law, it should be enforced. Recycling is more important in Europe, where there is little land for landfills. I lived in Germany for four years and recycled. Separate containers for green glass, brown glass, white glass, paper/cardboard, plastic, metal cans and then trash.
Easy solution: never recycle.