Recycling Myths Debunked

Debunking the Most Common Recycling Myths and Misconceptions

Did you know that, in the United States, we generate about 250 million tons of trash every day? More than half of that ends up in landfills, mostly because people are confused about recycling. It’s not like recycling is a new concept, so why is there still confusion? Even though most Americans have a favorable opinion of recycling, people are confused about recycling and unsure that things they put in the bin are actually recycled, so only about half of recyclable materials actually make it into recycling. It’s time to put an end to the misinformation and clear up common recycling myths.

Recycling Myths vs Recycling Facts

• Myth: All recycling programs are the same.
  • Fact: Recycling varies, depending on where you live. Some facilities can only accept certain types of plastic, while some can’t handle glass or mixed materials. Always check local guidelines so that you can recycle correctly.
• Myth: It’s ok to skip cleaning the recyclables.
  • Fact: When you recycle items without cleaning them, you can contaminate the entire batch of recyclables, and they won’t be suitable for processing. Always rinse food containers, dump out leftover liquids, and never put dirty or greasy materials into recycling.
• Myth: Recycling isn’t worth it because it uses more energy than it saves.
  • Fact: Recycling conserves energy because it reduces the need for raw materials, and fewer pollutants are used when manufacturing with recycled materials. For example, making new aluminum from raw materials uses 95 percent more energy than using recycled materials.
• Myth: Putting a few wrong items in with your recycling doesn’t matter.
  • Fact: One wrong item can ruin an entire load of recyclables. Plastic bags, non-recyclable plastics, and things like Styrofoam will make the load impossible to process. Always check local guidelines, and don’t put things in recycling with the hope that they’ll be accepted, even if they’re not on the list.
• Myth: Recycling is too hard.
  • Fact: While it may seem like more work to recycle, it can really be very simple. Set yourself and your family up for success by learning the local guidelines and setting up easily accessible recycling bins at home.

Interesting Facts About Recycling Globally

So, we know that the United States is not great at recycling, and in fact we have an overall recycling rate of 34 percent. We’re not the worst, though: Turkey and Chile are tied at 1 percent. But which country is the best in the world at recycling? Germany is consistently at the top of the list, with a 65 percent recycling rate. The country who is improving the fastest is Poland, which has increased its recycling rate by 886 percent over the past couple of decades. Other quickly improving countries include Ireland, Estonia, and the UK, and South Korea, Austria, Belgium, Slovenia, Sweden, and Switzerland all have recycling rates above 50 percent. It’s important that we all get on board, as it is estimated that the waste generated by humans is going to more than triple over the next century.

Bonus: Lesser Known Fun Facts About Recycling

How many of these recycling facts do you already know?

• It takes about 1,000 years for a plastic bag to decompose.
• Globally, enough plastic is trashed each year to circle the earth four times; the US is responsible for the largest share of it.
• Recycling one ton of paper saves 7,000 gallons of water, and paper is the largest waste product of offices.
• Glass is 100% recyclable, and can be recycled infinitely without loss of quality.
• Recycling one glass bottle saves enough energy to power a 100W lightbulb for 4 hours.
• In the US we throw away enough glass bottles each year to fill up over 17 Empire State buildings.
• An aluminum can that is recycled will be back on the grocery store shelf within 60 days.

How to Recycle Smarter

What can you do to make sure you are part of the solution? First, learn your local regulations. In most of Massachusetts, single-stream recycling (also called mixed recycling) is in place. This means that many different recyclables are collected in a single cart. What can you put in our state’s mixed recycling carts?

• Cardboard
• Newspapers, magazines, and inserts
• Mail, junk mail, and envelopes
• Boxboard and paper cartons
• Office papers and file folders
• Plastic containers (#1-#7) and large, rigid plastics
• Glass bottles and jars
• Page and tin

Smart recyclers know what belongs in the recycling cart and what doesn’t, and they are careful to keep trash separate. To recycle smarter, never put hazardous waste in your recycling, clean out all food containers, and make sure all cans and bottles are dry and empty. Flatten cardboard boxes, and be careful not to overfill your recycling cart.

Recycling is Easy When You Partner with B-P Trucking

For recycling and every other facet of waste management, contact B-P Trucking for the highest quality of service. We provide a wide variety of commercial recycling services for businesses and single-stream recycling for residential customers, to make it easy to recycle at home. Founded in 1965 as a small rubbish company, our family-owned and operated business now provides top-tier waste management and recycling services to communities throughout Massachusetts and the surrounding states. Our customers count on us to stay at the cutting edge of a rapidly changing industry, providing the highest quality of service, backed by the experience, vehicles, equipment, and knowledge necessary to exceed our customers’ expectations. Our commitment to excellence and our highly trained service personnel make us industry leaders, providing commercial, industrial, and residential customers with successful, innovative, and financially efficient waste management that evolves to meet their changing needs. To learn more about our comprehensive waste management services, contact us through our website.