Recycling is Confusing, Here is a Little Help

After a number of conversations with friends regarding the confusing rules of recycling plastic I have taken it upon myself to educate my blog viewers.

I excerpted the following information from our local Waste Management site. If you walk away with only one piece of information, let it be, NO CAPS OR LIDS. They break the machines used during the sorting/recycling process.

Always check with your program to confirm the materials it accepts.

Lids and caps go in the garbage. No area recycling programs accept plastic caps or lids. Leaving the cap on a plastic bottle also makes collection and processing more difficult, because the bottle cannot easily be flattened and takes up more space. But you don't need to remove labels or the small plastic rings on the necks when you recycle plastic bottles.


The Others don't mix well. Plastic containers labeled "Other," or #7, are usually polycarbonate. But an increasing number is made from new bioplastics, such as corn-based polylactic acid, or PLA. Although bioplastics will not easily degrade in a modern landfill, municipal composting programs could some day accept them. Keep all #7 containers, including PLA, out of your recycling bin.


Bags have a future. A strong recycling market exists for plastic bags. Some residential recycling programs accept "bags of bags," but the recycling industry can deal with them better if you take them back to grocery-store collection bins. Never put a loose bag in your recycling bin; it can clog equipment at the sorting plant. Don't recycle plastic bags marked "biodegradable" unless specifically approved by the recycler.




Reducing and reusing trump recycling. Save money and conserve resources with a reusable water bottle (metal and #2 or #4 plastic are best). Single-use beverage bottles, usually #1, are not designed for long-term reuse.
Reduce the number of plastic bags you accept, and reuse them, or use durable tote bags.

Polystyrene packing peanuts cannot easily be recycled, but some shipping stores accept them for reuse.

Plastic plant pots also are not normally recycled, but a few area nurseries take them back to use again.

More Info on Recycling in King County
More Info on Recycling in Snohomish County
More Info on Recycling in Pierce County