Only recycle what you KNOW can be recycled.

Recycling things that we wish were recyclable is called “wishcycling.” This happens very frequently and can cause a whole load of recyclables to become non-recyclables.

Most cities recycle #1 and #2 plastics which are your pop bottles, water bottles, and milk jugs. My city recycles #1-#7 plastics, so I feel pretty lucky. However, they do not recycle ANY plastic bags, even if they are stamped with one of those numbers. Those I take to Target or my local grocery store that accepts them.

All recyclables are expected to be clean when recycled, so liquids need to be dumped out and food remains need to be washed out prior to putting them in your bin. Pizza boxes can not have any food on them, so I usually just tear the top of the box off to recycle and put the greasy bottom in the trash.

There is a lot of packaging, especially toy packaging, that is part recyclable/part non-recyclable. Usually, the plastic packaging is not recyclable, while the paperboard is. Check to see if there is a number in a recycle symbol on the plastic before tossing in your recycle bin. Not all facilities have hand sorters doing the recycling, so loads of recycling can be ruined because the wrong kinds of plastics are put together.

We all wish more things were recyclable in our recycle bins. Before you toss items in the bin, make sure they have a recyclable number on it if it is plastic. Also, make sure you have a clear understanding of what can be recycled in your bin. Different cities can have different rules depending on what their recycling center accepts, so make sure you are not wasting your time putting things in there that are not recyclable, and in turn wasting the time of the recyclers doing the work to recycle them.

Happy recycling!