Sustainability experts say recycling doesn’t have to be that hard. Here are some of the biggest recycling mistakes people make—and what you should be doing instead.
Why is recycling so complicated?
What is recyclable varies greatly depending on where you live. “Recycling is unfortunately more complicated than we’d like it to be,” says Miller. “Everybody’s recycling rules are going to be slightly different, which is what makes it so hard.”
That’s because different recycling plants use different equipment, and so they have different recycling rules.
Seven states, including California, Maryland, and Maine, have taken steps to fix that by introducing Extended Producer Responsibility laws aimed at standardizing recycling practices statewide.
Until that becomes more widespread across the country, there’s a simple rule you can follow, experts say. “Think about your bottles, cans, and containers that are in your laundry, kitchen, and bathrooms… and paper and cardboard,” says Cody Marshall, chief programs officer at The Recycling Partnership, a nonprofit dedicated to creating a better recycling system. “Those are things that are recyclable.”
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