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Writer's picturestephenaber

We’ve Made it Too Hard to Recycle Right. How Can We Fix It?

Picture this: you’ve finished a long day of work, grabbed some take-out on the way home, enjoyed your dinner, and now you find yourself unsure how to clean up. You’ve got a clear plastic container, a Styrofoam cup and a paper to-go carton. Where does it all belong? You know your city has curbside recycling, and you want to do your best, but you’re just not sure what goes where. In an effort to be sustainable, it’s probably best to just throw everything in recycling, right?


That’s what I thought before I began working for the Environmental Research & Education Foundation (EREF). I assumed I should recycle everything in question, because better safe than sorry, of course! I had no idea that materials in the bin that shouldn’t be recycled actually have to be identified at the facility, physically removed from the conveyor belt and transported to the landfill. This ultimately raises an item’s carbon footprint as it takes a second fuel-powered journey to the correct facility, and it could even cost the recycling facility more money in tip fees.


Back to those mostly empty food containers. Where do they go? It’s hard to know, because it’s different everywhere. For instance, in Cary, North Carolina, a two-piece plastic take-out container is thrown in the garbage. A few miles away in Durham, it goes in the recycling bin. In nearby Raleigh, clear “clamshell” boxes can be recycled, but on the campus of North Carolina State University, (located in Raleigh) they have to go in the garbage.


On the West Coast in Riverside, California, Styrofoam can be recycled in the curbside bin, but that’s rare. In most locations nationwide, consumers would have to find a recycling facility that accepts Styrofoam or, more likely, just toss it in the trash. And the paper container? Well, in Sacramento, that should go into the organic waste bin (formerly yard/green waste), but just sixty miles west, in Napa, only “certified-compostable takeout containers” can be recycled.


Are you confused? How could you not be?


This confusion isn’t unique to any individual or location; it’s a widespread issue that stems from the complexity and variability of recycling programs. Each municipality has its own set of rules, influenced by the capabilities and contracts of local recycling facilities, market demand for recyclable materials and local government policies. EREF did a study of recycling definition a few years ago and found that there were over 18 different definitions of recycling in state policies. This lack of standardization leads to uncertainty among consumers, who, despite their best intentions, often feel overwhelmed by the nuances of proper recycling practices. Recent Studies from NielsenIQ (NIQ) and the Harvard Business Review (HBR) have found that an overwhelming majority of consumers want to be more sustainable, but their actions don’t always reflect that. However, both NIQ and HBR have found that more buyers are purposefully choosing more sustainable products and companies.


Additionally, the recycling education provided to consumers is often incomplete or overly simplified. Most people are taught to reduce, reuse, recycle, but not how to properly clean and sort recyclables, or what happens to them after they leave the curb. This gap in education leads to well-intentioned mistakes that can hinder the recycling process.


In a recent study funded by EREF, Dr. Elizabeth Hewitt found that a behavioral intervention focused on recycling educational strategies in urban multifamily buildings had mixed results. Recycling behavior increased in both buildings where interventions took place, but contamination also increased. Contamination occurs when non-recyclable materials are mixed with recyclables, or when recyclables are soiled by food waste or other residues. This can render entire batches of recyclables unprocessable, leading to higher costs for recycling facilities and, ultimately, more waste ending up in landfills.


When consumers’ sustainability enthusiasm is dampened by the complexity of recycling systems and a lack of clear, accessible information, it’s crucial for organizations, municipalities and waste management companies to invest in comprehensive, easy-to-understand recycling education and outreach programs. These programs should not only provide clear guidelines on what can and can’t be recycled but also explain the reasons behind these rules. It’s no small task!


Sustainability is a shared responsibility. It requires collaboration between consumers, local governments, waste management companies and environmental organizations. By working together to simplify recycling processes and improve education, we can enhance the effectiveness of recycling programs, reduce contamination and make a significant impact on our collective environmental footprint.

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