STOP Recycling These Things to Live an Eco Life
It’s time to recycle correctly! When you put things in your bin in the hopes that they will be recycled without checking your local rules, that’s actually wishcycling. And it can cause more harm than good, unfortunately.
So, let’slearn about some common recycling rules. Though be sure to check your local rules after watching this video. These are common items that cannot be recycled, but some regions may have special recycling facilities to help you recycle these odds and ends.
Lastly, many of these things are recyclable through special programs like TerraCycle. But these should almost always NEVER go in your curbside bin.
If you missed it, check out part 1 here for 14 MORE things you can’t recycle. Let’s get into this new list!
Coffee Cups
Yup, that “paper” cup isn’t just paper. It’s lined with plastic. You can learn more about shocking hidden plastic in this video. Even your plastic cup that you get iced beverages in shouldn’t be recycled unless it’s clean. You can clean it, sure, but oftentimes you get the cup to go and may not have access to a sink by the time you’re done and found the recycling bin. You could hold onto it until you get home, or you can opt for reusable cups instead.
As we covered in part 1, many seemingly paper items are lined with plastic to ensure durability when coming into contact with liquids. This includes juice cartons, milk cartons, boxed water, and frozen food packages. And those coffee cups for hot beverages! Don’t recycle it and, better yet, try reusable the next time you hit up your local cafe.
Broken Glass
Mostly because it’s a hazard for recycling workers, but also because broken glass may be too small to sort, as we covered in part 1. Not only this, but broken, sharp glass can also damage the expensive sorting and recycling machines. It’s best to throw broken glass in the landfill, unfortunately.
This is also why glass recycling isn’t all that common. It’s heavy, it breaks, it’s dangerous, and it can be expensive for all of these reasons. Where possible, reuse glass at home. Turn that old peanut butter jar into a drinking glass, refill your bottles at the refill store, turn wine bottles into watering tools for your garden, or put flowers in them to create a vase!
If you already have too many jars (guilty), try donating them to a local thrift store, giving them away on your local Buy Nothing Group, or giving them to your local refill store for customers to use.
Ceramics
Ceramics require super high temperatures to melt down and be reused as new clay. It’s expensive to operate ceramics recycling facilities, and they, too, like glass, are heavy and breakable, making it quite a liability to collect, sort, and recycle.
If the ceramics are in good condition, donate, sell them, or give them away on your local Buy Nothing Group.
If they’re broken and not in good shape, you could try to see if there’s a special program near you. Though I highly recommend reusing in some other capacity that’s not food-related, since cracks and chips may introduce bacteria. You could try:
Breaking it further and using the pieces for a mosaic.
Plant something in it! I kept my damaged stand mixer bowl and Dutch oven to grow plants in on my balcony.
You could also break it further and place bits and pieces at the bottom of your houseplants to help with drainage.
Try repairing with the Japanese Kintsugi method!
Styrofoam
Plastic is highly recyclable. It’s super easy to melt it down. And that includes Styrofoam, too!
Then why can’t it be put in my curbside bin?
It’s far too big and far too light to be worth anything. It would take an entire garbage truck to tote it around. It would take high energy to melt it. And then you would be left with almost nothing since Styrofoam is just puffed, aerated plastic. It’s mostly air!
It’s extremely inefficient and expensive to recycle Styrofoam. So unless your rules state otherwise, don’t put it in your bin. Avoid and reuse as much as you can.
Plastic bottle caps
As we covered in part 1, small items cannot be recycled. This goes for bottle caps. But also, they are a different type of plastic than the bottle itself!
AMCS states that “Surprising as it may seem, plastic lids from containers such as water or milk bottles are not always recyclable. That’s because plastic bottles are usually made from easily recyclable PET, while plastic caps are made from polypropylene, which can’t be recycled in the same way. Read the information on the side of the bottle to see whether the lid is recyclable or check with your local recycler.”
Plastic Straws and other Utensils
These, too, are too small and are of an uncommon plastic type (usually #5 or #6), which is not commonly accepted. Most often, you can recycle plastics #1 and #2. Always check your local rules, though! I was pleasantly surprised to see my local region accepts ALL plastics!
If all of this talk of different plastic types is confusing, check out this video next.
Black Plastic
No matter the size, shape, or plastic type, many regions don’t accept black-colored plastic for recycling. Why?
Well, AMCS states that “Most black plastic packaging cannot be identified by the optical sorting systems used in plastic recycling plants. This means it is usually sent to landfill or incinerated. Remember, black bin bags cannot be recycled so if you put your recycling into a black bin back, the bin crew might throw the entire bag into the non-recyclable rubbish, even if you leave the bag open. Always use the recycling containers or bags provided by your local recycling service provider instead.”
Waxed Paper
To include things like photographs!
To sum up paper recycling (see me do it from home here), you need to shred the paper, wet the paper, and then that pulp gets turned back into new, usable paper. And if you didn’t know, wax is meant to resist water. It physically cannot be recycled now that it’s waxy!
Not only that, but if temperatures are high in the recycling process, the wax may melt off the paper, and then it will just clog the machines and drains. Overall, it’s a big mess. So help avoid this mess by throwing it away instead.
If you find yourself using wax paper a lot in the home, try some swaps like:
Reusable silicone bags
Beeswax wraps
Silicone baking mats
Silicone cupcake liners
Packing Materials
Namely, packing peanuts and bubble wrap. Your paper packing should be good to go as long as it doesn’t hit any of the other categories we discussed. But you can save all of this for the next package you have to ship to avoid having to buy anything new!
Why?
Well, we just covered Styrofoam, which is what peanuts are made out of. And in part 1, we talked about how thin plastics also aren’t usually recyclable for the same reason. It just doesn’t melt down into enough to make the process worth it and profitable.
You can’t always control what comes in the mail when you order online. But when you shop from eco brands, they almost never use plastic! That’s one way to reduce this volume in your home. Also consider shopping in person, namely secondhand, before shopping online if you can.
Things with the recycling symbol
That seems backwards. I’m not saying to NEVER recycle anything with the recycling symbol on it, I’m saying that it should be taken with a grain of salt. Producers LOVE to slap the recycling symbol on everything they produce as a means of greenwashing (learn more about the term here). It makes them appear more eco-friendly than they actually are and it leads us astray!
Many items that we’ve covered on this list contain the recycling symbol: plastic utensils, shopping bags, Styrofoam, etc.
On the other hand, many things that are actually recyclable also contain the recycling symbol. Things like cans of beans, plastic #1, and cardboard boxes.
It’s tricky! When in doubt, check your local rules. And use the little number inside (this is the resin identification number, RIN) to help you understand it’s recyclability for your region.
Shredded Paper
There are two main reasons why shredded paper can’t be recycled. Can you guess one of them? It’s too small! It can fall through the cracks and get mixed in with other small items of different material types and now none of it can be recycled.
But also, Homewood Disposal Service states that “Paper is made of fibers, and different types of paper have different fiber lengths. Printing paper is one of the highest grades, while tissues and toilet paper are a lower grade. When paper is shredded, the fibers become shorter and are less useful in the recycling process.”
What can you do instead?
Opt for paperless billing and do as many documents, leases, contracts, and other things online where possible.
If you have to shred something that contains PII, shred only what is necessary so the rest can be recycled.
Shredded paper is GREAT for compost! Add it to your home compost or curbside compost bin (if they accept paper, check those rules, too!).
Misc Metal Objects
Metal is extremely valuable to recycle. Mining metal and making it from new materials is expensive and energy-intensive. It’s great to recycle metal, but not all of it can be recycled curbside. As always, check your local rules, but be wary about recycling these things:
Cans of paint (to include spray paint and other chemicals. Yes, even if empty. The residues get in the way of recycling the next batch)
Pots and pans (especially “non-stick” ones which are coated in chemicals that inhibit recycling)
Tools
Silverware
And really just about any other metal that isn’t a soda or food can
But why? They may be too big, too small, or just a “weird” size. They may contain harsh chemicals, such as a paint can. It may simply be a type of metal that isn’t recycled in your region! Most regions recycle common metals like tin and aluminum but may not be able to handle other metals like copper, stainless steel, and others. It may also be made of mixed materials, which we learned in part 1 can’t be recycled almost ever.
If these items are in good condition, donate or sell them. If they are broken or damaged, try to repair them. If that’s not possible, try to upcycle them. For example, a broken hiking pole can be used in the garden to stabilize a plant.
Again, metal is very valuable. I urge you to find a way to recycle these bits and pieces, such as taking them to a junkyard!
Blister Packs (and other pill containers)
No, this isn’t me saying you shouldn’t take care of your health! I used a blister pack just recently when I needed more Dramamine for a road trip. I’m just suggesting that you don’t put these items in your recycling bin!
Thankfully, many pharmacies accept all kinds of pill containers for recycling. See if yours has a special recycling program! If not, there are other programs like Terracycle and others that you may be able to use.
Blister packs especially are quite difficult to recycle: they’re often too small, made from mixed materials that can’t be separated, and contain thin plastic.
Pill bottles, too, are not recyclable, though, not because of difficulty. This is often due to them being too small and/or they’re made from a non-accepted type of plastic like plastic #5.
Take care of your health and recycle correctly, too!
Berry Clamshells
It looks like the same stuff a water bottle is made out of, but think again! Chemically, they’re very different. Though, because they look so similar, even machines that sort recycling can’t tell them apart. They get mixed into the #1 recycling batch and may ruin it since they are chemically different.
Not only this, but if it’s flattened, the machines may even mistake the square, thin plastic as cardboard! That’s even more of a mess.
As always, check your local rules and see if you can find out what your berry clamshells are made of.
If you want to avoid clamshells, try a different fruit, see if your local farmers market offers them plastic-free, or see if you can just find them in a different type of packaging at the super market!
Thank you so much for reading along and trying to be a better recycler!
It really comes down to just a few things:
Check your local rules and follow them
Don’t wishcycle!!
Reduce what you consume, since recycling is so broken
I hope this helps! Let us know which one was the most shocking below.
As always, remember that your small actions make a big difference in the long run :)
Emma
