Recycling 101

Inspired and intrigued by How To Save A Planet’s podcast episode, “Recycling! Is it BS?” I thought I would dive further into my municipality’s recycling rules and regulations. But before we get there, let’s talk about recycling. The Oxford dictionary defines recycling as the action or process of converting waste into reusable materials. On a broad scale, that sounds great because it eliminates waste that would otherwise end up in landfills, littered in our streets, or floating through our oceans; however, recycling is a bit more complex. 

To start, what is recyclable?

The most common substrates found within the blue bin are paper, metal, glass, and plastic products. 

Paper

According to the EPA, paper products account for about half of all recyclables collected in the United States by weight. The shelf life of recycled paper is by far the shortest at only five to seven times as the fiber becomes more and more unstable with each recycling process. Within that lifespan, the following products can be made: printer/notebook paper, paper towels, money, bandages, lampshades, animal bedding, egg cartons, and more. 

Metal

Metal is relatively easy to recycle and can be recycled time and time again, with iron and steel among the world’s most recycled materials. What’s great is the footprint to recycle metal is significantly smaller than it is to create for the first time. The process of mining for the resource, whether bauxite or iron, combined with the manufacturing process releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, contributing to climate change. 

Glass

According to CalRecycle, glass is 100 percent recyclable, and the technology for recycling glass, relatively simple. However, the fragility of glass combined with the detailed sorting required and the decrease in demand make recycling difficult. Now, recycling centers are viewing glass as a contaminant and a hindrance. Therefore, it might be wise to reuse your glass products if you can. 

Plastic 

Plastic, the hot topic of every environmentalist, sustainability blogger, and more, is vastly more complicated. What is particularly interesting and what I learned from the HTSAP podcast was that the recycling symbol does NOT mean the product is recyclable. In actuality, the symbol is placed on these items because it was lobbied by the plastic industry and won. Therefore, if you would like to know what plastics are actually recyclable, I encourage you to look into the regulations within your city/municipality. 

Are all paper, metal, glass, and plastic items recyclable? 

Within each substrate, the recyclable items will vary based on the city/municipality with which you live, at least that is the case in the United States. For example, in New York City, you can recycle any type of metal (excluding electronics) that fits into your bin. At the same time, Los Angeles limits the metals to cans, tins, clean aluminum foil, empty aerosol cans, and wire hangers. Once you determine what is recyclable, you need to ensure that the items are clean and dry when disposing of them. Failure to comply with the recycling regulations could contaminate the entire load and prevent it from being recycled properly. 

What is the gist of recycling? 

In the most basic terms, here is the process of recycling:

  1. You place your recyclables in a blue bin that is collected weekly by the city sanitation department. 

  2. Your recyclables are brought to a facility where they are sorted, clean, and processed. From there, the materials are bought and sold. 

  3. Your sorted recyclables are then manufactured into new products. 

  4. The new products are then sold in stores, where you purchase them, and the process, if it exists in a closed-loop system, starts all over again. If the product does not and is downcycled, it will likely end up in a landfill. 

What is downcycling?

Downcycling is when the recycled materials have become weaker and must be transformed into a material that ends the recycling process. For example, transforming plastic bottles into fibers for clothing or shoes and carpeting materials into plastic lumber products. 

What is upcycling?

Upcycling is the process of creating a product of higher quality or value than the original. For example, if you take your old old glass bottles and create vases to propagate plants or serve as a centerpiece, you’ve given the reciprocal a new lease on life that adds new value.

Recycling in Los Angeles according to LASAN

Paper

All clean dry paper, including:

  • Computer paper

  • Ledger paper

  • Arts and craft paper

  • Unwanted mail

  • Flyers

  • Telephone books

  • Notecards

  • Newspaper

  • Magazines

  • File folders

  • Paper bags

  • Post-it notes

  • Catalogs

  • All envelopes, including window envelopes

 

Cardboard

All cardboard boxes and chipboard, including:

  • Cereal boxes

  • Tissue boxes

  • Dry food boxes

  • Frozen food boxes

  • Shoe boxes

  • Detergent boxes

  • Paper towel and toilet paper rolls

  • Cardboard boxes (broken down and flattened)

 

Cartons

All refrigerated, shelf-stable, aseptic packaging, including:

  • Fruit juice boxes and cartons

  • Orange juice cartons

  • Milk cartons

  • Wine boxes

  • Soy milk, rice milk and almond milk boxes and cartons

  • Cereal boxes

  • Heavy cream cartons

  • Egg substitute cartons

 

Metals

All aluminum, tin, metal, and bi-metal cans, wiped out if possible, including:

  • Soda cans

  • Juice cans

  • Soup cans

  • Vegetable cans

  • Pet food cans

  • Pie tins

  • Clean aluminum foil

  • Empty paint and aerosol cans

  • Wire hangers

 

Glass

All glass bottles and jars, wiped out if possible, including:

  • Soda bottles

  • Wine bottles

  • Beer bottles

  • Spaghetti sauce jars

  • Pickle jars

  • Broken bottles

 

Plastics

All plastics numbers 1 through 7

Empty plastic containers, wiped out if possible, including:

  • Soda bottles 

  • Juice bottles

  • Detergent containers

  • Bleach containers

  • Shampoo bottles

  • Lotion bottles

  • Mouthwash bottles

  • Dishwashing liquid bottles

  • Milk jugs

  • Tubs for margarine and yogurt

  • Plastic planters

  • Food and blister packaging

  • Rigid clamshell packaging

  • All clean plastic bags (grocery bags, dry cleaner bags, and film plastics)

  • All clean polystyrene products (plates, cups, containers, egg cartons, block packaging, and packing materials)

  • Plastic hangers

  • Non-electric plastic toys

  • Plastic swimming pools

  • Plastic laundry baskets

  • Car seats (cloth removed)


Eco TipsCasha Doemland