RECYCLING: YOU’RE DOING IT WRONG

Before I started this blog, one of the main things I was doing to help save the planet was recycling. However, I didn’t do much research to figure out how to recycle properly, choosing instead to mostly rely on intuition. Well, it turns out, I’ve been doing it wrong. And so have you, probably.

Here are five major recycling mistakes I was making that you may be making too:

MISTAKE #1: Recycling things that aren’t recyclable.

My name is Jessica, and I am an “aspirational” recycler. My internal monologue has historically gone something like this:

What’s the big deal if I accidentally recycle something that’s not recyclable? I’m just going to throw everything I think may be recyclable in the recycle bin, and someone at the recycling plant will remove it if it’s not. 

It turns out aspirational recycling is bad for at least two reasons. First, unrecyclable materials can “contaminate” other recyclables, rendering them unrecyclable. In the US, an estimated 17% of recyclables are contaminated by unrecyclable material, and are therefore sent to the landfill instead of being recycled.

Second, certain unrecyclable materials can break recycling machinery, costing recycling services time and money. Similarly, when you recycle incorrectly, you are causing the recycling service to have to fix your mistakes, making them less efficient and effective. Recycling plants only stay in business when recycling is good business, and when recycling is less efficient and effective, it’s less likely to be good business. In fact, contamination (in addition to global market forces) has led to the closure of many recycling centers in the last few years.

So, it’s important to recycle only items that are recyclable. Unfortunately, while there are some rules that are generally applicable across jurisdictions, what’s recyclable varies depending on where you live.

How do I find out what’s recyclable in my neighborhood? Keep America Beautiful has a great website that helps you find your local recycling information. Just input your zip code and the site returns links to webpages with useful local recycling information. I was also able to find local recycling rules simply by googling “recycling rules [INSERT YOUR CITY].” When I did this for San Diego, I found the City of San Diego’s environmental services website, which provided clear guidance on exactly what’s recyclable and what’s not in my local curbside recycling program. For example, I found this helpful flyer showing generally what things are recyclable in the City of San Diego:

While what’s recyclable varies depending on specific rules in your neighborhood, these materials generally tend to be recyclable in most US curbside programs:

• Jars and glass bottles
• Aluminum and metal cans
• Mail, magazines, newspapers, and phone books
• Paper, including paper bags and wrapping paper (but not metallic wrapping paper)
• Cardboard, including cardboard boxes
• Cartons (e.g., milk cartons)
• Empty aerosol cans
• Clean aluminum foil and trays
• Hard plastics like plastic food containers, plastic bottles, plastic buckets, tubs, trays, and toys

These items tend not to be recyclable in US curbside programs and must be thrown in the trash:

• Organic materials like plants, leaves, food scraps (but these can usually be composted!)
• Compostable items like compostable serviceware
• Plastic utensils and straws
• Napkins, paper towels, and tissue (even if unused)
• Plastic wrap/film (e.g., seran wrap), plastic wrappers, plastic baggies (e.g., Ziplocs)
• Plastic bags
• Glassware (as distinguished from glass bottles, which generally ARE recyclable)
• Diapers (even if unused)

Again, it is important to look up the specific rules in your neighborhood to determine what is recyclable and what is not. So check out the Keep America Beautiful website!

MISTAKE #1a: Recycling any plastic with the “recycling arrows” on it.

On a related note, I had assumed that the presence of little recycling arrows on a given item indicated that it was recyclable. It turns out the recycling arrows are a clue, but not the final word on whether or not something is recyclable. Those little arrows usually refer to the type of plastic the items were made from, and some, but not all, of these materials are recyclable. Many curbside programs can recycle rigid plastic bottles and containers, but do not recycle plastic bags or films, despite the fact that the arrows often appear on these bags and films. To find out which plastic types are recyclable, check with your local program.

MISTAKE #2: Bagging my recyclables.

In most jurisdictions, including here in the City of San Diego, you are not supposed to bag your recyclables. Instead, you’re supposed to leave them loose and free inside your recycling bin. To find out whether your recycling service wants your recyclables bagged or unbagged, consult your local program.

MISTAKE #3: Failing to properly prepare recyclables for the recycling bin.

To be clear, your recyclables usually don’t need any preparation to be tossed into in the recycling bin. But in some cases, there are a few quick things you need to do:

• If your recyclables have any food or liquid in them, they need to be rinsed. Food/liquid contamination can create problems at the recycling plant and contaminate other recyclables. For messy containers that require more than a simple rinse (like yogurt or peanut butter), soak them or use a spatula to remove any food or liquid before tossing in the recycling bin. Yes, this takes some time, but it’s worth it to avoid contaminating everyone else’s recyclables.
• Break down cardboard boxes.
• Put shredded paper in a paper bag.
• Unless your local recycling program says “no caps,” leave plastic caps on plastic bottles. Do not recycle cork or metal caps.

MISTAKE #4: Failing to do store-drop-off recycling when something doesn’t belong in the curbside bin.

Even if certain items are not accepted in your curbside recycling program, they may be recyclable at a location near you. For example, computers, TVs, and other electronic devices can be recycled at certain locations in San Diego.

I was shocked when I initially found out that plastic bags were not recyclable in my curbside program. But did you know that they can often be recycled in store drop off programs? Now, I collect my plastic bags (the ones that specify that they can be recycled with store drop off programs) and periodically drop them off at one of my local drop off locations. You can find your local drop off locations here.

MISTAKE #5: Relying solely on recycling, instead of first trying to reduce or reuse.

Recycling is an important way to help reduce the enormous amount of waste that has accumulated on our planet. But it is much better to reduce or reuse your waste in the first instance.

You’ve undoubtedly heard the phrase “reduce, reuse, recycle.”  I always thought “the three Rs” were intended to convey three ideal ways to sustainably dispose of waste.  That is, either reduce, reuse, or recycle it.  All equally important, right?  Nope!

What I didn’t realize is that “reduce, reuse, recycle” is a hierarchy.  That is, we should first find ways to reduce the waste we generate.  If we cannot reduce certain types of waste, we should try to reuse it.  And finally, we should recycle all recyclable waste we cannot reduce or reuse.

When we think about waste, we often focus on how it is disposed.  But any quest to generate less waste requires us to also think about how we go about acquiring that waste to begin with—that is, our decision to purchase it before it eventually becomes waste.  The beauty of the three Rs of waste disposal is that they are more a way of thinking about waste acquisition rather than waste disposal.  They inspire us to start thinking about our purchasing decisions through the lens of waste reduction. 

REDUCE: For each of your purchasing decisions, you might consider whether you can forego the purchase because the benefits of owning the item are outweighed by the costs, including the environmental costs.   

If you can’t or don’t want to forgo the purchase, think about whether you can do any of the following:

• borrow the item from a friend
• purchase it second hand, or
• find an alternative that won’t generate as much waste. 

REUSE: Before you throw an item in the trash or recycle bin, ask whether you can reuse it instead (and therefore avoid additional purchases).  Can you wash and reuse empty containers and boxes for storage?  Can you donate your old clothes instead of throwing them away? 

According to a recent study, human made stuff now outweighs all life on Earth. The world’s plastics alone now weigh twice as much as the planet’s marine and terrestrial animals. Reducing, reusing and properly recycling our waste will help tip the balance in the other direction.