Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but…there’s a good chance you’re recycling wrong. But don’t worry, you’re not alone and that’s why we’re here to push you towards the right direction.
The following are just a few things
you probably didn’t know about recycling:
- Most coffee cups are not recyclable because they are lined with plastic. The best alternative is to go ahead and buy a reusable coffee mug to enjoy your cup of joe.
- Used cardboard pizza boxes are also not recyclable because the amount of grease left on them prevents the paper fibers from being able to be separated from the oils during the recycling process.
- Plastic bags don’t go in your curbside recycling bin because they can get stuck in the conveyor built at the recycling center. Your safest bet is to take them to your local grocery store that has a plastic bag drop-off box and if you don’t know where you can find one you can visit PlasticFilmRecycling.com to help you find a location near you.
- A lot of cities and states have websites that list locations to recycle anything you can think of, all you need to do is a quick online search wherever you are. Here in Arizona we have azrecycles.gov that gives you a hand finding a place to go.
- Plastic forks, spoons and knives come in a variety of low-grade plastics that are impossible to identify and are too small so most places won’t take them.
- The Association of Postconsumer Plastic Recyclers says to crush plastic bottles because it can prevent bottle caps from shooting all over the place when the bottles are crushed at the recycling center.
Term to know:
Wishful Recycling: Recycling items when you are unsure if they’re truly recyclable but hoping someone somewhere will figure that out for you. When non-recyclable materials are mixed in with your recycling, it can ruin the entire batch of recycling. So if you’re ever not sure if something can be recycled, give it a quick google before tossing it into a bin.
