What We Recycle

With overflowing blue bins outside many homes, it may seem like recycling is more popular than ever. Unfortunately, some of the changes in the way we recycle are making the job of recycling companies harder.

To increase participation, many U.S. cities moved to single-stream recycling, in which all recyclables go in one bin. But as recycling became easier, people began to throw more non-recyclable materials into the bins. This means more sorting at the recycling plants. Some recyclables get so dirty in this process that they can’t be recycled.

Single-stream recycling has also caused an increase in plastic in the stream. Today, recycled plastic is far less valuable than it was years ago because of the drop in oil prices (oil is used to make new plastic). Recycling plants also have difficulty with plastic bags and films, like food wrap, getting stuck in their sorting machines. These are some major reasons that recycling profits have dropped, causing a significant number of recycling facilities to close in recent years.

Recycling companies are now upgrading their machines and processes to reflect the changing recycling stream, but individuals can help too. Some simple recycling advice from the waste-disposal company Waste Management: Recycle all empty cans and bottles, keep foods and liquids out of recycling bins, and put all your plastic bags in a single bag. Also, always make sure you’re only tossing recyclables to keep sorting to a minimum.