I can tell you all as a resident, that when I first moved to NYC 14 years ago, I put just about everything but the kitchen sink down the chute: glass, metal, and anything that I could stuff in there. (Not proud of this fact, mind you...)

I had no idea at that time that there was a personal risk to the building staff, nor did I know that it had the potential to cost the building money. Long story, but the point is, even reasonable people need education to understand the risk of harm, and the likelihood of damage.