silence7@slrpnk.netM to Climate - truthful information about climate, related activism and politics.@slrpnk.netEnglish · 8 months ago
silence7@slrpnk.netM to Climate - truthful information about climate, related activism and politics.@slrpnk.netEnglish · 8 months ago
Recycling is weird. I think it works but it isn’t as effective as we’d like to think.
Something I learned was the numbers inside the recycling symbol. I’d like to ask for correction but from what I remember, a 1 or 2 inside the symbol means that you can recycle it in the recycling bin. A 3 or 4 means it has to go to a special recycling facility. And a 5 or higher means that it is not recyclable.
Which plastics (if any) can actually be recycled varies by location. Check, don’t assume
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recycling_codes#Alternative_recycling_labels
Check this one for what I meant (and was apparently slightly mistaken)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resin_identification_code
I think we probably both agree that resin codes are originally and principally manufacturing specs. I don’t know how many (lay) people correctly use them to guide how they should dispose of things. My biggest point though is that however resin codes were started, they have been taken over by a corporate desire to make things that aren’t recyclable look recyclable. They give a facade of recycl-ability, so that plastic keeps being produced. People are also encouraged/tricked to put garbage that bears look-alike recycle codes into their municipal recycling. As a result, recycled plastics are contaminated, become garbage, and more new plastics are generated.
I concur