What Do Those Symbols Mean?
Everyone thinks they recognize the recycle symbol. Typically, it looks like three arrows chasing each other in the shape of a triangle, but what about all the other versions and symbols? Don't they mean recycle too?
In 1970, the original design of the recycle symbol was created by 23-year-old student, Gary Anderson. He was the winner of the Container Corporation of America’s (CCA) inaugural Earth Day competition. Little did anyone realize that it would become such a commonplace icon of the 21st century!
However, the commonplace, unregulated printing of this symbol has become a problem. This is because when people see what they interpret to be a recycling symbol, they automatically think, “I can recycle this!” and toss the item into the recycling bin. The belief that these emblems mean an item is recyclable is a common misconception.
Just because a circular symbol with arrows is printed on an item, doesn’t mean an item is recyclable in your current system!
It’s mind-blowing and maddening, isn’t it?!
Let’s break it down:
The overall looping design represents circularity. This means keeping materials in the loop to reduce waste. The three chasing arrows represent the concepts of reduce, reuse, and recycle. However, these should be viewed as separate entities:
Reduce: First, do you recognize the amount of waste you produce? Are you actively taking steps to reduce it?
Reuse: Second, are you utilizing the materials you have by reusing them to their maximum potential instead of getting rid of them after one use?
Recycle: Then, LASTLY, consider how to manage the waste you have and ask yourself “Is it appropriate material for the recycle bin?” If not, it MUST go to the landfill.
If you look at the recycle symbol piece by piece, and ask yourself those questions, it makes more sense!
Now, what about those numbers? Aren’t those numbers supposed to tell us if we can put an item into our recycling cart?
The simple answer is NO! Generally, ignore them. There are more than 30 kinds of plastics, with more being developed every day, and our best Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) can usually identify and recover 5 of them. These numbers are called resin codes. They were designed by manufacturers to identify chemistry classifications of plastics, NOT for residents to determine if the item is eligible for the recycling cart.
Yes, this can all be frustrating and sometimes even make us want to give up. It’s important to remember that if you feel this way, you are making it too complex and overburdening yourself. Take a step back and remember to keep it simple. Review the curbside guidelines below, ask yourself the questions listed above, and stick to recycling those items only. Don’t get bogged down in the occasional item you have in hand that is not pictured. If you are uncertain if it’s appropriate material for the recycle bin, then don’t risk contamination by wishcycling. Put it in the trash and keep the value of the truly recyclable material high.
As the world comes to terms with the growing amounts of waste generated every day, understanding what can and can’t be recycled is increasingly important. Not only do we need to divert more waste away from landfills, but we also need to keep materials in the loop for as long as possible so that we can reduce our reliance on virgin materials and avoid the environmental impacts associated with extracting them.