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If you've ever stood in front of your recycle bin without knowing if the trash in your hands is recyclable, you've thrown it away anyway, this article is for you.
On Mother Jones, writer Jackie Flynn Mogensen followed the effects of "cyclical wish" when a consumer commits this fake junk in the hope that one day or the other , its garbage will find its proper place, be it with other similar recyclable materials. or in a landfill.
But when you add potential non-recyclables to your bin, you directly contaminate your true recyclables and you have several problems for recycling facilities (and especially for areas that rely on recycling in a single flow, when all materials recyclables are collected in a single bin, separated by material in different bins).
Waste Management, the nation's largest waste disposal company, told Mother Jones that for every ton of recyclable material they would receive, 500 pounds would be sent to a landfill because of problems such as clogged recyclables or waste that simply should not be there, process that requires additional time and money ($ 100 million a year, waste management claims).
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Worse still, and with China's current ban on importing our waste, recycling into one stream is becoming more common as it encourages consumers to recycle more often (and ultimately it's cheaper for carriers of waste). Recycling in one stream can often give consumers the impression that their single blue box will solve their problems, but that is far from the case.
Contamination by a single current remains a problem
According to Tori Carle, a waste reduction supervisor in Greensboro, North Carolina, recycling into one stream may be less transparent, in part because of the containers themselves. Carle said that trolleys used in single stream recycling are often concealed with a lid; recycling collectors are prevented from seeing what it contains and manually separating non-recyclable materials from recyclable materials.
"When we had dual-flow recycling in the communities, they were collected using open bins," she said. "… These collectors may have left the contamination (ie newspaper bags) as a direct education for the resident when they were improperly recycled."
As the Five Thirty Eight writes, in a unique sorting system, a recycling truck can also compact and break up materials together. If you put non-recyclable material in your bin, scanners at your local material recycling center may have difficulty sorting these items.
And when you combine items into a single bin as part of a single flow system, fouled items can impact other recyclables. a wet drink container could soak the paper and make it non-recyclable, Mother Jones writes. (One point is worth noting: discarding non-recyclable waste into a recycling bin in a dual-flow recycling system is always a bad thing – it's just one flow that already causes contamination problems.)
If in doubt, throw it away
What can you do to avoid this completely? Simple: search online for the rules of your city's curbside recycling program and search for recent titles; Recycling programs across the country are changing rapidly in response to China's ban and fluctuating demand for recyclables. "Residents should look for recycling information when they are confused or when in doubt, throw it away," Carle said.
There are, however, some universal rules to keep in mind. You probably can not recycle very dirty items, for example. As Mother Jones has written, items such as plastic bags and electronics can not usually be recycled as part of your curbside recycling program, and may require you to go to a drop-off point. Use the Earth911 search locator for such delicate items.
And if you're still having trouble, find a local Facebook group in your area dedicated to sustainability. they can probably point you in the right direction so that you can make the best possible decision for the environment.
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