How to Recycle: Recycling Do’s and Don’ts
By Jaclyn Tracy
In another article I wrote, The Plastic Problem & What We Can Do About It As Consumers, I reference a film called Plastic Wars, a Frontline documentary about the history of plastic. Spoiler alert: the oil industry — the makers of plastic — spent tens of millions of dollars convincing Americans that it was okay to use plastic because it could and should all be recycled. That is not at all true and never was. The recycling program, as it exists today, was created to sell more plastic. Even though, according to the joint investigation by NPR and the PBS series Frontline, the “plastics industry had "serious doubt" recycling would ever be viable.”
The truth is, in the US only 8.7% of plastics were recycled in 2018. (1)
To compound the problem, China used to take our recyclables but essentially shut its doors in 2018 because the paper and plastics we shipped were too contaminated with garbage. And the volume of single-use plastics, rising for decades, has soared since the start of the pandemic.
The closing of the Chinese market has negatively impacted the recycling business — too much supply, too little demand. And Americans are piling more trash than ever into incinerators and landfills, a trend that disproportionately impacts marginalized neighborhoods and communities of color. (2)
The good news? There are small steps we can take as consumers to improve the recycling process by addressing the do’s and don’ts of recycling:
6 Things You are Recycling Wrong:
1. GREASY PIZZA BOXES
Problem: The part of the pizza box that is soaked or contaminated with grease cannot be recycled. Oil from the grease is very difficult to remove during the recycling process and inhibits the production of high quality paper products.
Solution: Rip the greasy part of the pizza box off and tear it into smaller pieces and compost it. Then recycle the non-contaminated part of the pizza box.
2. OILY TAKEOUT CONTAINERS
Problem: That leftover pad thai in your takeout container can contaminate a recycling load, which means that load then has to be sent to the landfill.
Solution: Wash out all food scraps from recyclables. It does not have to be squeaky clean, but just make sure to keep food and liquids out of your recycling bin.
3. COFFEE CUPS
Problem: Coffee cups are fused with polyethylene (plastic) and are therefore, not recyclable. (3)
Solution: Bring your own reusable mug whenever you can.
4. PLASTIC BAGS
Problem: “While we might wish that plastic bags — notorious for dissolving into microplastics and killing wildlife — could be sent to processors with our other recycling, they shouldn’t be. They create a nightmare for waste managers by plugging up machinery.” - NYTimes
Solution: Some areas do offer plastic bag drop-offs, which send these nonrigid plastics to special facilities for recycling. I take my plastic bags to Target’s recycling station, located in the front of each store.
5. GIFT WRAP
Problem: A lot of gift wrap isn’t recyclable because of the polyethylene (plastic) and polypropylene (plastic) coating on the paper, which is often shiny and laminated. Glitter and foils are recycling no-nos as well.
Solution: Choose recyclable gift wrap (note “recycled” gift wrap is not necessarily recyclable) or use kraft paper or reusable cloth.
6. NAPKINS, PAPER TOWELS, & TISSUES
Problem: “Soft paper products are usually made from a high percentage of recycled paper. Each time natural fibers are recycled, they become shorter and shorter. After 5-7 times through the recycling process, paper fibers are too short to be recycled again.” - SWACO
Solution: The soft paper fibers are perfect for rapid composting. Compost your soft paper products or avoid them entirely with reusable options.
4 Things You Can & Should Recycle
PAPER
“Paper makes up 23% of municipal solid waste (trash) generated each year, more than any other material. Americans recycled about 68% of the paper they used in 2018. This recovered paper is used to make new paper products, saving trees and other natural resources. Most community or office recycling programs accept paper and paper products.” - EPA
Tips:
Check what your local community recycling program accepts.
When shopping, look for products made from recycled paper.
Do not recycle contaminated paper.
2. PLASTIC
More than 35 million tons of plastics were generated in the United States in 2018 — 12% of the waste stream. Only 8.7% of plastics were recycled in 2018. (1) Most community recycling programs accept some, but not all, types of plastics.
Tips:
Choose products made from recycled plastic materials whenever possible.
Some communities, but not all, recycle by the resin number, which is contained in a triangle found on the plastic product. It looks very similar to the recycling symbol, but it does not necessarily mean it can be collected for recycling in your community. Make sure to check your local recycling program to understand what plastic you can and cannot recycle.
3. GLASS
Glass, especially glass food and beverage containers, can be recycled over and over again. In the United States in 2018, 12.3 million tons of glass were generated, 25% of which was recovered for recycling. Making new glass from recycled glass is typically cheaper than using raw materials.
Tips:
Most curbside community recycling programs accept different glass colors and types mixed together, and then glass is sorted at the recovery facility.
Check with your local program to see if you need to separate your glass or if it can be mixed together.
4. STEEL & ALUMINUM
Steel and aluminum cans are accepted for recycling. Aluminum is infinitely recyclable and highly durable, nearly 75% of all aluminum ever produced is still in use today.
Tips:
Metals not shaped like cans can easily get into other streams (i.e. paper, glass) and then contaminate that load because the sorting facility wasn't designed to handle irregularly shaped metals. Take your scrap metals to local facilities, or consider donating.
5 Actions You Can Take Today To Improve Your Recycling Habits
STOP WISH OR ASPIRATIONAL RECYCLING
While wanting to recycle everything is admirable, 'wish-cycling' can negatively impact the amount of materials you actually recycle. “Sorting facilities are highly engineered to deal with certain material types, and when other goods are introduced into the system many things can go wrong. The first step of this sorting process requires people to sort out contamination. Metal hangers, hoses, and plastic bags can easily get caught in machine gears and lead to a work stoppage or costly repair.” - SWACO
2. UNDERSTAND YOUR LOCAL RECYCLING PROGRAM
Every local recycling program is different (making recycling so much more confusing, I know). I recently found out that my local Columbus recycling program does not go by the resin numbers at all, it filters by the shape and type of container. Carve out 30 minutes to dive into your local recycling program and no doubt it will lead you down a path of progress.
3. REDUCE AND REUSE
Recycling is the third R. Reduce and reuse first.
4. COMPOST
35% - 40% of the materials we send to the landfill are recyclable organic materials-food waste, yard waste, and non-recyclable paper waste (5). If it's sent to a landfill, these materials produce ozone-damaging methane, a greenhouse gas that is 21-25 times more potent than carbon dioxide (according to EPA reports). Composting helps prevent greenhouse gases, improves water quality, enriches soil, encourages production of beneficial bacteria, reduces harmful chemical usage, reduces landfill growth, and benefits your local community.
What can you compost?
Greens (grass, vegetables, fruits, coffee grounds)
Browns (dead leaves, branches, twigs)
Meats & Dairy (fish bones, cheese, meat)
BPI Certified Compostable Packaging
Paper (paper towels, tissues, greasy pizza box)
5. SUPPORT BRANDS WHO ARE DOING IT RIGHT
There are thousands of brands already operating with sustainable or circular methods of design, production and in their manufacturing processes. And there are new solutions and innovative ideas emerging around sustainable lifestyle, ways to reduce plastic waste in our everyday life and reduce our carbon footprint. SISTAIN exists to help you discover brands who are doing it right.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jaclyn Tracy is the founder of SISTAIN. Her goal is to make a greater difference by educating, activating and making sustainable consumerism not only easier, but aspirational. She believes success is in the collective impact, getting a whole group of people to change their behavior by committing to choosing sustainable brands, less waste and imperfect progress. Jaclyn is also the founder of Brand Effect, a holistic digital marketing agency.
