The Recycling Myth

The recycling myth is one big monster that activists for a plastic-free planet must face every single day when trying to help people understand the importance of reducing one’s plastic consumption. Thanks to the practical strategy the plastic industry came up with in the early 1980s of imprinting a recycling code on the most commonly consumed plastic items, a large majority of consumers think that the bulk of the plastics they consume are recyclable and actually do get recycled through their local curbside recycling program. In reality, only a small percentage of the contents of a recycling box is recycled.

We discovered how hard-wired this myth is early on when participating in consumer trade shows for Life Without Plastic. People would approach us and say something like, “But what’s the problem with plastics? I recycle almost all of my plastics.” We would reply that unfortunately most plastics do not get recycled. In fact, only about 9 percent of all discarded plastics are recycled globally. About 12% of plastic waste is incinerated. But MOST plastic waste (79%) ends up in landfills or in nature! 

The following categories of materials generally are not recyclable and should be avoided as much as possible when shopping: 

  • Plastic bags
  • Aseptic packages (such as Tetra Pak), which are made of several layers of various materials such as plastic, aluminum and cardboard
  • Clamshell and styrofoam packaging 
  • Bioplastics (though they may be home or industrially compostable)
  • Plastics without a recycling arrow number
  • Plastics made with a combination of many different plastics, for example plastic toys that contain many different parts 
  • Plastic with the recycling arrow numbers 3, 4, 6 and 7 

In a nutshell, only plastics #1 (PETE or PET), plastic # 2 (HDPE) and plastic #5 (PP) are good candidates for recycling. This table illustrates the various types of plastic according to their recycling resin code and how to recognize them:

 Plastic Type

How to Recognize it

Recyclability
Polyethylene Terephthalate - PETE or PET Clear plastic bottles for soft drinks
and water, plastic food jars and
condiments, polyester fabric		 Good 
High Density Polyethylene - HDPE Opaque milk bottles, oil and vinegar
bottles, ice cream containers and
bottles for shampoos, toiletries and
cleaning products, some plastic bags		 Good
Polyvinyl Chloride - V or PVC Cling wraps, squeeze bottles, soft toys,
shower curtains, blood bags, diaper
covers		 Low 
Low density Polyethylene - LDPE Plastic bags, cling wrap, flexible
containers, coating for milk cartons,
baby bottles, frozen food bags		 Low
Polypropylene - PP Baby bottles, yogurt, margarine and
deli containers, toys, reusable food
containers		 Good
Polystyrene - PS Disposable plastic cutlery, coffee cups
and lids, food containers, packing
peanuts, egg containers		 Very low
Others - O Catch-all category. Includes products
made of bisphenol A (BPA), bioplastics and other plastic resins such as melamine		 Very low

 

 HOW TO SELECT AND PREP YOUR RECYCLABLES
  • Check with your municipality about which materials are recyclable; print the list and keep it close to your recycling bin.
  • Rinse all your recyclable items. Sorting workers will appreciate it.
  • Separate lids from bottles because they are usually made of different types of plastics.
  • Remove and separate paper labels from metal cans.
  • Use soiled cardboard or paper, like pizza boxes, as a fire starter (if you have a fireplace or woodstove) instead of throwing them in the recycling bin—they are unlikely to be recycled.
  • Unless you are absolutely certain that your municipality recycles plastic bags, do not add them to your recycling bin as they can get stuck in the conveyor belts at the sorting plant.
  • If plastic bags are accepted as a recyclable item, gather them together and stuff them all into one bag and tie it closed with a knot.
  • Do not put various recyclables in plastic bags.
  • Flatten cardboard boxes.

 

Image Credit: Tom Fisk

Yes... the majority of what you see in the image above is plastic waste.

 

IMPORTANT NOTES: While we strive to provide as accurate and balanced information as possible on our website, Life Without Plastic cannot guarantee its accuracy or completness because there is always more research to do, and more up-to-date research studies emerging -- and this is especially the case regarding research on the health and environmental effects of plastics. As indicated in our Terms & Conditions, none of the information presented on this website is intended to be professional advice or to constitute a professional service to the individual reader. All matters regarding health require medical supervision, and the information presented on this website is not intended as a substitute for consulting with your physician.

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