5 Shocking Recycling Facts From SwagCycle You Need to Know Now

1. 5 Surprising Facts About Recycling That You Need to Know, Courtesy of SwagCycle

2. The average American generates almost five pounds of waste per day, adding up to almost 300 million tons of waste produced nationally each year. Recycling plays a significant role in limiting the amount of this waste that gets sent to landfills and incinerators and recovers valuable materials for transformation into new products. Recycling is a complex system controlled by global materials markets, local regulations, and consumer behavior. Consumers play a critical role in whether and how materials are recycled, but understanding how to properly recycle in your city or town can be complicated. Read on to learn 5 surprising facts that you may not have known about recycling and tips for recycling right.

3. 1. Recycling is the least preferred option of the 3 Rs. “Reduce, reuse, and recycle” is a phrase we learn at a young age, but when it comes to the 3 Rs, recycling is actually the least environmentally preferable option. While recycling generally uses much less energy and fewer resources than manufacturing products from virgin materials, preventing waste from being created to begin with through waste reduction, reuse, and refusing unnecessary consumption and packaging are the best options. Check out our top five reuse tips for combating climate change.

4. 2. Where you live determines what materials you can recycle curbside The list of materials accepted in your curbside recycling bin depends on who picks up your waste (your town or hauler) and what technologies are used at the processing facility the materials are transported to. Check your town or city’s website for information on what materials are accepted in your curbside program. recycling

5. 3. Cities struggle with recycling contamination When items that are not accepted in a recycling program are placed into recycling bins, they are considered “contaminants.” Recycling contamination can cause issues with the recycling process and cost cities money. When there is too much contamination in a load of recycling, the entire load can be at risk of being non-viable and being sent to a landfill or incinerator. Some of the most common mis-recycled items include “tanglers” like plastic bags, garden hoses, and holiday lights.

6. Global policies have impacted recycling markets, and many are now questioning recycling’s future as a viable management option for some materials China has been the world’s biggest importer of waste for decades. In 2018, to improve environmental conditions, China banned the import of many types of solid waste and set strict contamination limits on imports of recyclable materials through its “National Sword” policy.

7. The numbers on plastics don’t necessarily mean they are recyclable. The small number with the chasing arrows on the bottom of a plastic container is the resin identification code, which tells you what type of plastic the item is. Even if an item has a recycling code, it may not necessarily be accepted in your curbside recycling program, depending on whether the recycling facility your materials go to is equipped to process that particular material.

8. Contact Us: Address: 30 Cobble Hill Road, Somerville, MA 02143 Call Us: 617-843-5436 Email: info@swagcycle.net