Recycling has become an increasingly popular topic as the planet warms and information about the broken recycling system is growing. Thanks to one TikToker, you can learn the facts about some recycling issues in less than a minute.
The scoop
In one video divided by the sustainability account Coarse collaboration (@grovecollaborative), several recycling myths are debunked in just 51 seconds.
@grovecollaborative Recycling can be very confusing, right? We’re here to make it easy and help you throw everything the right way! #recyclingbusiness #hoerecycle #grovecollaborative #ecolivingtips #environmentallyfriendlytips #mythsbusted #plasticfree #plasticpollution #sustainabilityyourway #sustainablehouse ♬ clear echoes – choppy.wav
“Recycling can be very confusing, right?” the video’s caption reads. “We’re here to make it easy and help you throw things the right way!”
Pizza boxes? “Eventually, yes,” the narrator says before further explaining that the box must be clean and not “contaminated” with grease and food debris. “Contaminated means you throw it away,” they explain.
They explain that glass can be recycled as long as you rinse it and remove the lid. Receipts cannot be recycled, despite paper being generally highly recyclable, as the thermal paper they are printed on makes this difficult. Plastic snack bags are a no-go because they get stuck in recycling machines.
The narrator concludes by saying that above all, it is best to avoid as many hard-to-recycle items as possible by choosing reusable alternatives, such as reusable carrier bags in the supermarket, reusable snack bags, or even glass or aluminum versions of them everyday objects which are much more likely to ultimately be recycled.
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How it works
Knowing how to properly dispose of items can help ensure that some ends up in recycling can are actually recycledand that objects that do not belong there do not contaminate otherwise good loads.
The Environmental Protection Agency reports that American households are producing almost 300 million tons waste per year. That is about five kilos of waste per person per day. Once in landfills, this waste decomposes, creating toxic gases that contribute greatly to the planet’s dangerous overheating.
A large part of it also comes his way in our oceans and other ecosystems, harming nature and human health. Taking all this into account, sharing information on how to ensure that as much waste as possible is actually recycled can go a long way towards keeping more waste from landfills and preventing pollution in the environment.
What confuses you most about the recycling protocol?
Which materials I can recycle
How clean the material should be
What the plastic numbers mean
Nothing at all
Click on your choice to see the results and give your opinion
What people say
The commenters on the post were grateful for the do’s and don’ts.
“The amount of greasy boxes I threw in the trash,” said one, to which Grove Collaborative replied, “Maybe you can compost it in your green organic container instead.”
“Thanks for this video,” said another.
“Super useful video!” one more agreed.
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