Methods and apparatuses for the processing of receptacles containing heterogeneous inventory items in materials handling facilities are generally described. Dirty picking may be described as a mechanism for the “batch” processing of a receptacle which includes multiple heterogeneous inventory items with different identification codes in a materials handling facility as if all of the items in the receptacle have been ordered, even though one or more of the items may have not been ordered. Through the implementation of a dirty pick mechanism, instead of processing individual items in a receptacle, the entire receptacle may be “dirty picked” and all of the items within the receptacle may be processed “downstream” at a processing station, during which needed items for processing may be selected, and “overage” items may be put aside to be disposed, e.g. by being restocked.