Can I Recycle This? A Guide to Better Recycling and How to Reduce Single-Use Plastics by Jennie Romer is a comprehensive guide to understanding the complexities of recycling and reducing single-use plastics in the U.S. Romer, an attorney and sustainability consultant, is a leading expert on single-use plastic reduction and recycling
The book is divided into two parts. The first part is an explanation of recycling and the process.
It explains the seven Resin Identification Codes (1-7), often enclosed in chasing arrows. Many consumers mistakenly believe the chasing arrows mean an item is automatically recyclable, but the number only identifies the type of plastic resin. Only PET #1 and HDPE #2 bottles and jugs consistently meet the FTC’s definition of recyclable.
While many remember the “3R’s” “recycle, reduction and reuse”, the latter two are far more important. Recycling itself consumes significant resources (fuel, water, greenhouse gas emissions), making reuse and reduction better for the environment,
The second part, the longest section is a look-up designed to be a handy reference. Some key points:
Most Recyclable (Green): Metal (especially aluminum cans), paper products with long fibers (cardboard, paper bags), bottles and jugs. Steel cans and clean cardboard boxes are valuable.
◦ Recyclable, but have issues (Yellow): Glass bottles (issues with mixed colors, transportation costs, regional variations). thermoforms (less valuable than bottles, not accepted everywhere).
◦ Not Recyclable (Red):
▪ Tanglers: Plastic films/carryout bags, clothing hangers, clothing/fabric, garden hoses, extension cords, Christmas lights.
▪ Smalls: Plastic straws, colorful plastic party cups, orphaned bottle caps, plastic forks, coffee pods, condiment cups.
▪ Mixed Materials/Multilayer Packaging: Juice pouches, cocktail peanut cans, chip bags, candy wrappers, baby food pouches, toothpaste tubes, cell phones, laptops, eyeglasses, blister packs.
▪ EPS/Foam: Foam coffee cups, foam egg cartons.
▪ Other Not Recyclable: Batteries (fire hazard), light bulbs (mercury/fragility), dirty/waxed paper, face masks.
The book is not just an encyclopedia of what can and can’t be recycled, but promotes understanding of the recycle process which most of us are involved with on a daily basis. Thus, the book is highly recommended.