Can you recycle that pizza box?

It is rare to see a product in a store without the triangular “chasing arrows” recycling symbol. We buy these things knowing we will be able to recycle them and avoid contributing to the net amount of waste piling up on our planet. But what if we are harming more than we are helping? Not everything displaying the recycling symbol is recyclable. Different cities and states have distinct regulations, and there is a large amount of false advertising involved in the labeling system. It feels good to throw something in a recycling bin as opposed to a trash can, but if that is a nonrecyclable item it will head straight to the landfill and bring the rest of the bin with it. An increase in clarity and education on recycling rules and regulations must occur nationally to decrease the amount of trash thrown in recycling bins.

Recycling has changed over the years. More materials have been introduced for consumption, creating more waste and requiring the formulation of new disposal methods. There are more than just five recyclable items, and different locations have different guidelines. There is no longer curbside oversight telling people what is and is not recyclable, resulting in the overuse of the mantra “better safe than sorry” and participation in “wish-cycling” (when people think they are doing all they can by recycling everything).

This mindset and lack of education cause damage to city recycling systems and heavily contaminate our nation’s recyclables. What happens to recyclables spoiled with garbage? In 2018, China closed its markets to U.S. recyclables due to the large amount of contamination. According to Vogel Disposal Service, Inc., “If an entire load of recyclable materials reaches the buyer but is contaminated by one thing, the entire shipment will be turned away!”

Our environment is suffering due to our lousy recycling etiquette. A non-recyclable item must be transferred to a landfill, creating an extra trip that could have been avoided if the item had gone to the landfill in the first place. Recyclables shipped worldwide must be sent all the way back to the U.S. if they are contaminated, which is a tremendous waste of resources and unnecessary increase in pollution.

When a recycling center receives a load that is contaminated, collection and processing costs increase. This is resulting in programs completely shutting down, bursting budgets and restricting material collections. According to Waste Advantage Magazine, “A 22-year-old recycling program in Broadway, Virginia was suspended after processing costs climbed by 63%. … Municipalities must take immediate action to reduce the practice of wish-cycling among their residents, to preserve the industry.” Contamination is making it easier and cheaper for manufacturers to continue to deplete natural resources, as reused recycled materials are unaffordable. Contamination could be reduced and, therefore, money could be saved if cities put in efforts to educate the population and diminish confusion.

Recycle Coach is a company dedicated to ending “wish-cycling” and saving our recycling programs. They have created an accessible app that provides information to users about their local recycling program. The app includes recycling schedules, reminders, information about the correct placement of materials and activities making education fun and engaging. More can be found athttps://recyclecoach.com/.

Do you know the recycling guidelines for Bozeman? When you go to the recycling bins near Hyalite Hall or Safeway, make sure all the items are empty, clean and dry. Acceptable items include #1 and #2 plastic and jugs, aluminum, steel and tin cans and office paper (not all acceptable items are listed here; see link at the end of the paragraph for more). Unacceptable items include plastics #3-#7, glass, food contaminated pizza boxes, foil and plastic bags. Compostable pizza boxes and food containers are available. Visithttps://www.bozeman.net/government/garbage-recycling/recycling/acceptable-materials to learn more and help Bozeman recycle clean!

Humans create so much waste and we need recycling programs to keep from expanding our landfills and increasing trash pollution. Currently, it is too difficult to receive reliable knowledge on whether or not an item is recyclable. Cities and organizations must increase efforts to provide accessible recycling knowledge to the public. If nothing changes, we will lose most, if not all, recycling infrastructure and will reap the environmental and social consequences.