Recycling Myths, Busted!
It’s that time of year when scary stories and myths creep up—and recycling is no exception! Don’t let misinformation haunt your efforts. This Halloween season, let’s put these recycling myths to rest!
MYTH: A recycling “chasing arrows” symbol on a package means it can go in the recycling bin.
FALSE! That little “chasing arrows” symbol can be misleading! It is a largely unregulated symbol and doesn’t guarantee recyclability. Plastic manufacturing companies, in particular, put this symbol on nearly all their products despite the fact that many plastics are not recyclable.
The best way to know whether something is recyclable isn’t by the labeling on the package, but by looking at your local recycling guidelines. Boulder County recycling guidelines include plastic bottles, tubs, jugs, and jars, which are most commonly labeled with a #1, #2, or #5 inside the arrow. Beware the “wish-cyclable” materials like styrofoam cups and meat trays that have a #6 inside the chasing arrows symbol. They are a recycling nightmare, and should stay out of your curbside bin!
MYTH: Recycling uses so much energy it’s bad for the environment.
FALSE! Don’t let this myth suck the life out of your recycling efforts! Recycling actually saves tons of energy compared to making products from scratch. For example . . .
- Recycling aluminum saves 95% of the energy used to make new cans from raw materials. That’s enough energy to power your favorite spooky movie marathon!
- Recycling 10 plastic bottles saves enough energy to power a laptop for over 25 hours—long enough for a full day and night of Halloween chills!
Recycling also conserves resources, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and supports local jobs. Now that’s a treat, not a trick!
MYTH: Rinsing recyclables wastes water, so it’s not worth it.
FALSE! The water used for rinsing is just a tiny fraction of what’s used in making new items from virgin materials. Recycling helps save much more water in the long run!
You don’t need to give your recyclables a deep clean! Just make sure food and drink containers are empty and mostly free of residue. A quick scrape, slosh of water from the tap, and shake with a little water will do the trick. For those sticky containers (like peanut butter jars), only removing the majority of the food is good enough—or let your dog take care of it!
MYTH: Food waste and compostables decompose the same in a landfill as they do in a compost pile.
FALSE! Organic materials like food scraps and yard clippings need oxygen to break down. In a compost pile, with plenty of oxygen, the materials readily decompose with the help of microbes. The byproduct of this decomposition is a super-enriched humus full of nutrients, which, when applied to landscapes, nourishes our soils and increases its ability to store carbon, so it’s a win all around when we compost.
On the flip side, landfills are designed to be airtight. Without oxygen, organics in the landfill undergo anaerobic decomposition. The materials break down at an extremely slow rate and emit methane in the process. Methane is an extremely powerful greenhouse gas, with a heat-trapping capacity 84 times greater than carbon dioxide. Don’t let your food waste rot in the landfill’s crypt—compost it instead!
MYTH: All paper products are recyclable.
FALSE! While many paper items such as office paper, mail, newspapers, and cardboard are recyclable, there are some ghoulish exceptions that you should not invite in to your recycling bin! Beware of paper towels, plastic-coated paper, and paper that is soiled with food or grease. Here’s why:
Paper towels and napkins—The fibers in paper towels, napkins, and tissues are too short to be recycled. These items can easily be avoided with reusable alternatives. If you do have single-use towels or napkins and reside in Colorado’s Front Range, including Boulder County, these items cannot go in your curbside composting bin, but can be included as a carbon source in your backyard compost pile! Some programs in the state do allow these items in curbside compost collection, so check with your hauler’s guidelines before putting them in the compost cart.
Paper and cardboard with food debris and grease are also cursed for recycling. Tear off the clean sections (like the top of a pizza box) and recycle that—leave the rest in the trash!
Plastic-coated paper—like frozen food boxes, ice cream cartons, and to-go cups—have a sneaky plastic layer that makes them non-recyclable in most areas. The exception is paper cartons for products like milk, juice, and non-dairy milks and soups; these items ARE widely recyclable. Check your local recycling rules (here’s the guide for those who live in Boulder County) to know what’s recyclable at your local recycling facility.
MYTH: All glass is recyclable in your curbside recycling bin.
FALSE! While glass bottles and jars are recyclable and can be turned into new glass infinitely, not all types of glass are recyclable.
PUT THESE IN YOUR CURBSIDE RECYCLING BINS: Glass bottles and jars. But beware—leave the lids off, and check local guidelines to see if the lids are recyclable separately! In Boulder County, metal and plastic lids larger than 2 inches can be recycled, while smaller metal ones should be added to your scrap metal collection and brought to a special recycling facility that accepts scrap metal, such as the Eco-Cycle/City of Boulder Center for Hard-to-Recycle (CHaRM). Plastic caps and lids smaller than 2 inches in diameter should be put in the trash.
For other glass (drinking glasses, vases, plates and cups, etc.) recycle these differently: These glass houseware items have different melting points and can’t be recycled along with glass bottles and jars. Eco-Cycle’s CHaRM center accepts them as a hard-to-recycle material, but your curbside recycling bin cannot!
Can’t get enough myth-busting?
Check out our Frequently Asked Questions for recycling in Boulder County.
