Are you Wishcycling?
What is wishcycling?
You hold your empty coffee cup in your hand. You're not 100% sure if it's recyclable, but just in case, you throw it in the blue bin anyway. If it's recyclable, they'll recycle it, right?
This is called "wishcycling," aka putting items in the recycling bin that you think or hope are recyclable.
Wait, that's not recyclable?
Believe it or not, none of the following items are recyclable in most curbside recycling programs. Common items that are 'wishcycled' include:
Styrofoam
plastic bags - including plastic grocery bags, chip bags, plastic wrap, plastic mailers, bubble wrap, and thin plastic films
Waxed paper
Containers with food stuck to the sides or greasy residue, like greasy pizza boxes and paper hamburger wrappers
Items made of more than one material, like paper coated in a thin layer of plastic. This includes all to-go coffee cups, any shelf-stable liquids in paper cartons, like almond milk, or paper-based cartons from the refrigerator or freezer section; all are lined with plastic
What's the big deal?
We're trying to do Mother Nature a solid by recycling everything we can. However, when we wishcycle items that aren't actually recyclable, we do more harm than good.
How do these non-recyclable items cause major headaches for the recycling centers? According to Recycle Nation, when plastic containers with food stuck inside are melted down, it scorches the food scraps and contaminates the whole batch of plastic, rendering it useless for new applications.
Likewise, greasy paper can contaminate an entire batch of paper products that could otherwise be turned into new goods.
Plastic bags are the # 1 headache for recycling centers. These lightweight plastic films jam up machines, causing lengthy delays and expensive maintenance and repairs. Kate Davenport, co-president of the nonprofit Eureka Recycling of Minnesota, told Green Biz it can cost between $75,000 and $100,000 annually to mitigate plastic bags jamming machines at their local recycling center. "Plastic bags continue to be the bane of our existence," she said.
What should we do?
First, know your local recycling rules. Just because something is theoretically recyclable does NOT mean it's recyclable where you live.
Visit the website for your local municipality, recycler, or waste management company. Find out what they accept in their blue bins. You may be surprised to learn that only # 1 and # 2 plastics are recyclable in your area.
According to Green Biz, only plastic resins # 1 (polyethylene terephthalate, or PET) and # 2 (high-density polyethylene, or HDPE) are relatively easy to recycle and have viable re-use markets. The others are hard to recycle, so many jurisdictions don't even collect them.
The bottom line
Just because something has a recycling symbol does not mean it is recyclable in your area.
If you think, "Maybe it's recyclable, so I'll throw it in the bin just in case," know that you're likely doing more harm than good. A better mantra is "When in doubt, throw it out." Only include materials you know for certain can be recycled by your local recycling program.
Take those pesky plastic bags and plastic films to the grocery store! Most grocery stores have collection bins for plastic bags out front.
Take the time to soak and wipe out that peanut butter jar with a brush before you recycle it. Throw away greasy paper and boxes!
Become a conscious consumer. Look for items in packaging that is easy to recycle. Choose a paper sack at the grocery store over a plastic bag, or better yet, bring your own reusable bags to the store. Avoid single-use plastic cups by bringing your own travel mug to the coffee shop and opting for a reusable water bottle.
