Recycling 101

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On our journey to reduce our waste, we do need a way of dealing with all sorts of items so recycling is important. But how do we do it? Most local governments will have different rules about what they collect and how. Some want things separated, others everything goes in one bin. And what exactly is it being recycled into? A lot of products technically get "down-cycled", which means that milk bottles don't become more milk bottles. They become something slightly less valuable as it can be challenging to maintain the quality of the material. So we need to remember the Reduce, Reuse part of the process too. But to get us started on our recycling journey, there are some general things to check.

Clean

Your recycling must be clean. Rinse out the leftover food or liquids before you put it out. This includes the milky froth on the inside of your coffee cup lid, that is if the plastic is recyclable.

Acceptable

Check what you can put out. There are products like batteries that can be recycled but they generally can’t go out with your recycling. A little research should help you track down where you can send electronics and batteries.

Numbers

Most plastic packaging will have a small triangle with a number on it. This symbolises the type of plastic it is made of and you’ll need to check if your recycling system will accept it. If there isn’t a number, it most likely isn’t recyclable.

Paper

Paper is recyclable, right? Well yes, and no. If the paper is going to come into contact with food, it will often be coated in plastic. This includes coffee cups. This is why you need to get yourself a reusable one. 

Compostable

Following on from the paper coffee cups, if they say they are compostable that’s fantastic! But it doesn’t mean they can go into the recycling. And often, they can’t even go into your home compost. There are two different types of composting and what you’re probably looking is commercial or hot compost.

Soft Plastics

Most recycling centres can’t handle soft plastics. They use conveyor belts and other machinery that it jams in. There are recyclers popping up that are accepting soft plastics and turning it into things like fence posts but you’ll need to track down where you can give them your plastic bags.

Final Note

The biggest takeaway is that recycling does require a little bit of checking. Find out exactly what your recycling system accepts. Often where you find this information they’ll tell you more about where you can send those odd things like batteries or electronics.