![]() The manufacturers that use this symbol on their products have no way of knowing what the rules are in every community. Because of all these differences, there are virtually no recycling rules that are true across the state or the country. Recycling programs all have different sorting systems and different technologies available to them. This doesn’t mean an item is recyclable in San José! Meaning #1: An item with this symbol on it is recyclable somewhere. ![]() So let’s take a closer look at what all these recycling symbols really mean: In honor of America Recycles Day, we’re going to debunk the meaning behind the recycling symbol. Contamination reduces how much of our materials actually get recycled, and it makes recycling more expensive. But the chasing arrows don’t always mean something is recyclable, and recycling the wrong items causes contamination in our recycling stream. This is a problem because usually, when people see one of these recycling symbols, they automatically think, “I can recycle this!” and toss the item into the recycling. It looks like three arrows chasing each other in the shape of a triangle, and it seems to turn up everywhere these days.īut did you know the recycling symbol doesn’t mean an item is always recyclable? In fact, there are many kinds of recycling symbols, and a lot of them don’t mean “recyclable” at all. It also saves a significant amount of landfill space.Everyone knows the recycling symbol. Moreover, over half of cardboard collected for recycling goes into making more cardboard boxes, while much of the rest can be used to make paperboard (the stuff cereal boxes are made from) or chipboard (think shoeboxes). One ton of fresh cardboard requires 3 tons of trees to make, meaning you’re saving trees every time you choose to recycle cardboard. Paper and CardboardĬardboard is easy to recycle, and disposing of it properly can make a real difference. Glass items you may have around the house for recycling include pickle jars, beer and wine bottles, baby food jars, pasta sauce containers and other containers that hold food. Consequently, recycling glass is all the more important.Īs with plastic, make sure to rinse out glass items before you recycle them, and make sure your recycling center accepts both clear and colored glass. Desert sand in particular is heavily eroded and basically useless as a result, while the best sand, which comes from the bottom of rivers and lakes, is in short supply. Now how can that be? Sand is used in everything from concrete to toothpaste, yet not just any kind of sand can be used to make things. Not only does creating sand tend to burn fossil fuels, but we’re actually running out of sand itself. Weirdly enough, while you might expect the sand glass is made from to be a nearly infinite resource, it actually isn’t. Photo Courtesy: Universal Images Group/Getty Images Just be sure to rinse out whatever plastic containers you recycle. ![]() Plastic items around the house you may want to recycle include empty laundry detergent containers, shampoo bottles, soda bottles, milk jugs and water bottles. If it isn’t, however, the plastic is not recyclable and should be disposed of. If the number is one that’s accepted by your local recycling company (usually Plastics 1 and 2), you’re in luck and should dispose of it appropriately. Just check with your local recycling company to see what plastic “numbers” they accept, and then check the sides or bottom of the container for a number within a triangle of arrows. Photo Courtesy: Martin Bernetti/Getty Imagesįortunately, recycling plastic as a consumer doesn’t have to be complicated. While this is the case in part because many towns are having difficulty finding places to recycle plastic waste and are burning it instead, that still leaves plenty of room for personal improvement. While Americans created 39.9 million tons of plastic waste in 2018, only a bit more than five percent of it was recycled. And if there is, these are the materials most likely to be accepted. While you’ll need to check with your local recycling center (which you can find using a convenient locator website, such as this one or this one) to find out what materials they accept, odds are good that at least some form of recycling service exists in your area. A surprising number of household items can be recycled.
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