Understanding Recycling

The famous mantra for anyone interested in Zero Waste - and honestly anyone who is interested in living a healthy life…. - goes “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”

The order to this mantra is important and intentional

1. Reduce

2. Reuse

3. Recycle

By following this order, recycling is your last option. Research shows that we produce 300 million tons of plastic A YEAR, and 50% of that plastic is single use. Meaning, you use it once and then it gets tossed out and stays on the planet for over 400 hundred years; releasing toxins, causing food the inability to biodegrade, and clogging the ecosystems of all species.

You have maybe experienced swimming in the ocean and then, out of no where, a plastic bag, straw, or wrapper sideswipes you. According to National Geographic, many plastics can be recycled but a a whopping 91% of plastic has never even been recycled. Thus leading to 32% of plastic packaging ending up in our oceans every year.

We aren’t ever really taught what can be recycled or how to recycle properly. And the universal recycle symbol (shown to the right) continues to add to the confusion of numbers in the center and also the misleading fact that the symbol is just an indicator of the TYPE of plastic, NOT an indicator that the product can be recycled.

Recycling rules are different for every town and city, so please check to see what your local guidelines are for recycling.

Here is what each number in the recycling symbol means:

Information gathered from Good House Keeping

#1
PET or PETE

PET or PETE (polyethylene terephthalate) is the most common plastic for single-use bottled beverages. It’s inexpensive, lightweight, and easy to recycle. This plastic is in high demand but still only gets recycled about 20% of the time.

Found in: Soft drinks, water, ketchup, and beer bottles; mouthwash bottles; peanut butter containers; salad dressing and vegetable oil containers

How to recycle it: PET or PETE can be picked up through most curbside recycling programs as long as it's been emptied and rinsed of any food. There's no need to remove bottle labels because the recycling process separates them. The caps are usually made of a different type of plastic so it’s best to dispose of these in the trash. If you already feel a guttural reaction to throwing the cap away in the trash, then stop purchasing these materials.

Recycled into: Polar fleece, fiber, tote bags, furniture, carpet, paneling, straps, bottles and food containers (as long as the plastic being recycled meets purity standards and doesn't have hazardous contaminants)

#2
HDPE

HDPE (high density polyethylene) is mainly used for packaging.

Found in: Milk jugs; juice bottles; bleach, detergent, and other household cleaner bottles; shampoo bottles; some trash and shopping bags; motor oil bottles; butter and yogurt tubs; cereal box liners

How to recycle it: HDPE can often be picked up through most curbside recycling programs. Flimsy plastics (like grocery bags and plastic wrap) usually can't be recycled, but several grocery stores allow you to bring back your plastic bags and they will recycle them. Awesome!

Recycled into: Laundry detergent bottles, oil bottles, pens, recycling containers, floor tile, drainage pipe, lumber, benches, doghouses, picnic tables, fencing, shampoo bottles

#3
PVC

PVC (polyvinyl chloride) and V (vinyl) is used for piping and siding. PVC is a very cheap plastic so it is very popular in our plastic world. Because chlorine is part of PVC, it can result in the release of highly dangerous dioxins during manufacturing. Do NOT burn PVC because it releases dangerous toxins.

Found in: Shampoo and cooking oil bottles, blister packaging, wire jacketing, siding, windows, piping

How to recycle it: PVC and V can rarely be recycled, but it's accepted by some plastic lumber makers. If you need to dispose of either material, ask your local waste management to see if you should put it in the trash or drop it off at a collection center.

Recycled into: Decks, paneling, mud-flaps, roadway gutters, flooring, cables, speed bumps, mats

#4
LDPE

LDPE (low density polyethylene) is a plastic that is becoming more and more accepted in recycling.

Found in: Squeezable bottles; bread, frozen food, dry cleaning, and shopping bags; tote bags; furniture

How to recycle it: LDPE is not often recycled through curbside programs. That means anything made with LDPE (like toothpaste tubes) will be thrown in the trash. Just like we mentioned under HDPE, plastic shopping bags can often be returned to stores for recycling.

Recycled into: Trash can liners and cans, compost bins, shipping envelopes, paneling, lumber, landscaping ties, floor tile

#5
PP

PP (polypropylene) can be found in all your to-go containers.

Found in: Some yogurt containers, syrup and medicine bottles, caps, straws

How to recycle it: Thoroughly wash these containers before recycling. PP can be recycled through some curbside programs.

Recycled into: Signal lights, battery cables, brooms, brushes, auto battery cases, ice scrapers, landscape borders, bicycle racks, rakes, bins, pallets, trays

#6
PS

PS (polystyrene) is the popular Styrofoam. This plastic can leach into foods and is a possible human carcinogen. This material is a big no no in the environmental world and is incredibly difficult to recycle.

Found in: Disposable plates and cups, meat trays, egg cartons, carry-out containers, aspirin bottles, compact disc cases

How to recycle it: Not many curbside recycling programs accept PS in the form of rigid plastics. Since foam products tend to break apart into smaller pieces, you should place them in a bag, squeeze out the air, and tie it up before putting it in the trash to prevent pellets from dispersing.

Recycled into: Insulation, light switch plates, egg cartons, vents, rulers, foam packing, carry-out containers

#7
Miscellaneous

A wide variety of plastic resins that don't fit into the previous categories are lumped into this. Just a take home note, these plastics cause a lot of hormonal damage and are difficult to recycle.

Found in: Three- and five-gallon water bottles, bullet-proof materials, sunglasses, DVDs, iPod and computer cases, signs and displays, certain food containers, nylon

How to recycle it: These other plastics are traditionally not recycled, so don't expect your local provider to accept them. The best option is to consult your municipality's website for specific instructions.

Recycled into: Plastic lumber and custom-made products

Take Aways

Reduce your waste

Start noticing what items and products you purchase that are plastic. Plastic is used in much more than the plastic bottle poster child. Check out your utensils, to-go containers, piping, medicinal bottles, tampon applicators, food containers, pens, packaging, etc.

Once you begin to notice and document how much you use, please stop purchasing plastic materials. Most plastics leach out into soil and water, causing our food to be full of toxins and our plant life to be stunted.

If you are purchasing a plastic material, find the recycled replacement option

More and more manufactures are creating recycled products such as clothing, shampoo bottles, pencils, etc.

Stick to numbers 1 and 2

If there are no recycled options (you better be pretty desperate for this plastic item by this point…) stick to numbers 1, 2, SOMETIMES 5. Always thoroughly wash out your products before recycling them.

What happens if you don’t wash your products? The company tosses it into the trash - they don’t have the time or the money to sort through what you can do on an individual level.

Buy Reusable

There are reusable options for almost every product - your water bottle, to-go containers and shopping. Invest in inexpensive, reusable utensils that you can always keep in your pack for when you spur of the moment get some food to go.

Refuse

Say “no” to single use. When picking up food to-go give them back the plastic back and say no to the plastic cutlery.