The City of Regina is launching a new initiative to teach people what they can, and can’t, put in their recycling bins.

The CartSmart Program will visit residents to check out blue bins, leaving a stick or cart tag letting people know how well they’re sorting their items.

“In 2018, we conducted market research that suggests residents would recycle more frequently if they better understood what to recycle,” Mayor Michael Fougere said in a news release. “This Curbside Recycling Education Pilot Program aims to build our recycling education and awareness campaigns. Recycling is worth the effort to protect the environment for future generations and increase the life of our landfill.”

The City says the new program will thank people who are sorting their recycling correctly, along with encouraging behaviour changes through direct feedback.

Anyone with unacceptable items will get an “Oops” tag with recycling tips, and people who have sorted correctly will get a “Good job” sticker.

“For the last three years, on average, 11 per cent of material in the recycling cart is not recyclable,” Pat Wilson, director of water, waste and environmental services, said in a news release. “The City is focused on increasing the amount of waste we divert from the landfill and decreasing unacceptable items in the recycling cart. Educating residents at the curb is another great way to increase proper sorting of household waste.”