Recycling is a great way to save materials from the landfill and use them for new products. However, it’s not perfectly efficient and recycled materials are more flawed than new materials. Always try to reduce and reuse things before buying them new.

Most people know what should be recycled: paper, metal, and some plastics, but many don’t know what can’t be recycled. While some plastics are recyclable, such as bottles and other containers, many plastics aren’t accepted at curbside recycling programs. This includes bubble wrap, plastic wrap, and resealable plastic bags. However, they can be recycled at certain facilities, so check with local sites to see what they can use. Other non-recyclable items include cups with plastic or waxed coating and their lids, compostable plastic, and broken glass, which can harm workers and machinery.

No matter what, never attempt to recycle food scraps; it contaminates material and clogs recycling equipment. Additionally, there should not be any food on the things being recycled. That being said, the objects don’t have to be spotless. Even greasy pizza boxes, contrary to popular belief, can be recycled.

Mail envelopes with plastic windows and aluminum foil are also recyclable, but batteries, electronics, motor oil, lightbulbs, and tires can only recycled at specific collection locations. Check with local sites to see what they accept.

Overall, recycling is incredibly important, but it’s also important to know what can and cannot be put in the curbside bin, as recycling the wrong items can ruin entire batches of recycling. When uncertain if an object can be recycled, simply look it up to find out. Becoming more educated is the first step to decreasing waste,

I have been fortunate enough to live in a city that sorts through your trash for you for the majority of my life, but living in a different city meant that it became my responsibility to know what to recycle, and I didn’t know enough about it to make the right decisions. Although I’ve learned a lot since moving, I wanted to find out for a fact what could and couldn’t be recycled.

I was surprised to hear that greasy pizza boxes could be recycled, as I’d heard contrary several times, and have avoided recycling slightly greasy paper and cardboard because of it. I’m glad to have found out more about the topic, and hopefully you’ve learned something from this as well! Even if you currently live in a city that handles recycling for you, it is more than likely that you will move to, or even visit, a place, that does not. In response to audience feedback, I plan to research more about eco-conscious choices that can be controlled by the consumer, so stay tuned to learn with me!

https://www.wm.com/us/en/recycle-right/recycling-101

https://www.epa.gov/recycle/how-do-i-recycle-common-recyclables#pla