Too Many Garbage Bins
Reduce, reuse, recycle. These three words are often repeated to American children in hopes of spreading awareness on the importance of recycling. Yet how many of us have eaten boxed meals and drank canned beverages and then proceeded to actually throw it all into the recycling bin? Unlike some countries, the United States does not have a strict recycling system in place and recycling contamination has become a huge issue. When I first went back to Japan as an adult, I was in for a rude awakening.
When I first stepped off the plane in Japan, it was hard to find garbage bins, but when I did, I noticed that there were different categories of bins. Each bin was shaped differently so as to remind you that only certain products can go in it. When I met up with my mother and wanted to help around the home, I had to get used to seeing four different trash cans.
Adapting to this system became even trickier when I started studying abroad and had no one to essentially “teach me” what was recyclable or not in Japan. When the dorm managers gave me four well-labelled trash cans, I knew I had to sit down and truly learn how to recycle properly. If I did not learn how to properly recycle in Japan, I would incur the wrath of the dorm managers. Their anger would be valid, as the garbage collectors refuse to pick up trash if they see anything thrown away incorrectly.
Learning how to effectively prepare and categorize my waste was no easy task. It was honestly a pain to have to wash everything before I threw it away. However, the more I learned and practiced how to categorize my waste, the easier it became. It was something that became natural over time.
Japan’s strict guidelines for garbage sorting help reduce recycling contamination. In the United States, the loose recycling guidelines have led to about 25 percent of the stuff we try to recycle to be too contaminated to go anywhere but the landfill. After visiting Japan, I have made a point of learning how to reduce recycling contamination here in the United States. Below are nine pieces of advice that you can implement into your recycling habits in order to help reduce recycling contamination.
How to Prevent Recycling Contamination
1. Rinse your jars, glasses, and recyclable food containers to get rid of food waste, grease, oil, etc. To be recycled, containers must be empty, clean, and dry. Put your recycling to the “smell test”. If it smells of food, it probably has food or liquid waste in it.
2. Never recycle anything smaller than a credit card. Small objects are too small to be captured by the recycling machines and so they end up in the landfill. Before they get there, though, they are likely to jam the recycling machines.
3. Leave the lids on plastic bottles. In Japan, we had to take the lids off of plastic containers. They used to ask people to do this in the United States, too, but now they ask us to leave the lids on. Modern recycling machines can automatically sort the lids out from the containers. If we take them off, those little lids tend to get sorted into landfill-bound waste. Moreover, if we separate the lids from the bottles, the bottles might end up crushed flat. When that happens, they can be mistaken for paper, contaminating the paper supply. That’s why we shouldn’t crush plastic bottles, either.
4. Even though bottle caps are small, it’s still possible to recycle them. First, check each lid to see if the cap is steel or aluminum (if it’s steel, it will stick to a magnet). Then put your steel lids in a steel can and put your aluminum lids in an aluminum can. When the cans are half-full, crimp the cans closed so the lids can’t fall out and put the closed cans in your recycling bin. If you can’t sort and seal the bottle caps, throw them in the trash instead.
5. Some plastics can be recycled. Plastics are labelled #1 through #7. In Clark Country, Republic Services accepts plastic containers labelled #1 through #7. This includes soda bottles, water bottles, cooking oil containers, shampoo bottles, yogurt tubs, and milk jugs (but not milk cartons). However, Clark County does not accept plastic bags, bubble wrap, plastic wrap, Styrofoam, plastic furniture, or toys. In fact, plastic bags are the number one recycling contaminant and often clog recycling machines. If you can poke your finger through the plastic, it doesn’t belong in your recycling bin. Instead, take them to your local grocery store.
If you are outside Clark County, keep in mind that some recycling programs accept plastics, but the final decision is made at the sorting facility. The most commonly recycled plastics are #1 PET and #2 HDPE. Plastics #3 through #7 are sometimes recyclable. Check with your local recycling facility.
6. Don’t mix it up. If a product contains two recyclable materials (like a paper label inside a plastic container), you need to remove the label and recycle both items individually. If a product contains a recyclable material along with a non-recyclable material, you need to separate them. For example, for a window envelope, you need to remove the plastic window and throw it away before recycling the paper.
7. For that same reason, cardboard boxes can be recycled, but the tape should be removed before you put it in the bin.
8. On the other hand, it’s okay to leave the paper labels on cans. The recycling process involves a step where the labels and excess glue are burned away. However, if the label itself is recyclable paper, then removing it will allow it to be recycled separately.
9. Finally, double check what you put in the bin. The recycling label on the item will give you some idea about what is and is not recyclable. However, you need to check online for your local guidelines, because what can be recycled depends upon the local recycling facility. Republic Services’ Recycling Guide provides Clark County residents guidelines for their recycling program, and you can enter your zip-code to confirm what is recyclable in other areas.
Aika Dietz was a member of the Interactive Measurement Group from spring of 2018 to fall of 2020. During her time in the lab, Aika co-authored three research posters that were accepted into conferences and she also led numerous workshops. In the fall of 2020, Aika graduated from UNLV with a BS in international business. Aika plans to pursue law school.
Kimberly A. Barchard is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at UNLV and is the Director of the Interactive Measurement Group. She works to empower lab members to accomplish their personal and professional goals, particularly through the development of leadership, research, and organizational skills.