It turns out a package itself may not reliably tell us whether it can be recycled. In some cases, manufacturers, for a variety of reasons, do not put a recycling symbol on products that are actually made of recyclable materials. They also sometimes put symbols on products that are not, or are only partially recyclable.
Both practices make it difficult for the recyclers to process materials properly. Best practices would be to be sure the package can be recycled locally before putting it in the bin. Otherwise put it in the trash. We really need to avoid what’s called “wishcycling,” which is the practice of thinking something “ought to be” recyclable, so then putting it in the recycle bin and counting on the processor to either accept it or toss it in the trash at their end.
That makes nothing any more recyclable, but does greatly increase the costs of doing the sorting, and, in some cases, adds greatly to the amount of material going to a landfill when we thought we had recycled it. Increased costs are, of course, reflected in the charges to the town as well.
To help you make those decisions, you can read this column, send me email, or explore resources like ecomaine’s Recyclopedia.
Plastics have their own idiosyncrasies. Both Casella and ecomaine will take plastics in any of the types from 1-7. That will cover most of what we get through our kitchens, for example, because all those plastic packages are required, by most states, to have a recycling symbol on them. That excludes plastic films and bags, which are not to be put in the bins, but can, and should, be returned to the grocery store for recycling.
That also does not apply to the plastics in other products, which is often mixed, so both of our local recycling companies expect to see a recycling symbol on what they accept. If things like the formed plastic covers around batteries, toothbrushes, and the like do not contain a recycling symbol, we need to presume they are not recyclable. Hopefully, that means we can find a package in which the plastic is recyclable, and buy that product instead. If not, then we need to trash that bit of plastic.
Note that the familiar “Recycling Triangle” does not really say directly whether the product is recyclable or not. The symbol simply tells us what type of plastic the product contains. Not all recyclers pick up all types. Fortunately, our local recyclers will take all seven types normally found in our packaging, except styrofoam.
Since there is no real standardization in the requirements for recycling labels, it’s no surprise that there are several different “standards” out there. One of the better ones, to my mind, is the How2Recycle system. That’s a more complete label that describes the product’s components in detail and says, plainly, how it should be handled.
The Recycle Bin is a weekly column on what to recycle, what not to recycle, and why, in Brunswick. The public is encouraged to submit questions by email to brunsrecycleinfo@gmail.com. Harry Hopcroft is a member of the Brunswick Recycling and Sustainability Committee.
The Recycle Bin is a weekly column on what to recycle, what not to recycle, and why, in Brunswick. The public is encouraged to submit questions by email to brunsrecycleinfo@gmail.com. Harry Hopcroft is a member of the Brunswick Recycling and Sustainability Committee.
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