You hear it all of the time, “recycling is how we preserve our environment”, “recycle everything!”, “reduce, reuse, recycle”, and that’s all fantastic, but how exactly does recycling work? Sometimes, in order to be motivated to do something, you have to understand how it works and the impact it makes. So, for those of you who are that kind of person, we have all of the information you need!

What can be recycled?

This varies by recycling plant and location. Some places are able to recycle any kind of plastic, paper, glass, or combo-product that you throw at them while others can only recycle a handful of items. The majority of places though can recycle the following items,

·         White printer paper (with or without ink)

·         Newspaper

·         Cardboard

·         Plastic bottles/containers

·         Aluminum cans

·         Glass products

Check with your local recycling plant before putting anything in the recycling bin.

Where do recycled products go?

The products your throw into your recycling bin are taken to material recovery facilities (MRF’s). MRF’s are essentially the holding unit for all of our to-be-recycled items. Each MRF holds different items, but the majority will hold all of the products on the above list!

What happens at the MRF?

Upon entering the Material Recovery Facility, products are sorted by type into different piles. What’s interesting about MRF’s is they are not all built the same and they do not all follow the same guidelines. Whereas some MRF’s allow items that have not been cleaned to pass through, not all facilities have this rule.

What happens to items that haven’t been cleaned?

Unfortunately, these items are often thrown into the trash pending how difficult they are to clean. Most MRF’s have cleaning procedures in place to try and salvage certain items, but this depends on the facility itself.

If you can, it’s best to follow the simple rule, “the cleaner the better” before throwing your items into the recycling bin. Give them a good scrub, it takes an extra five minutes but could result in you helping preserve the environment!

Where do my recycled items go?

Most people think that the items we throw into recycling get recycled at the plant itself, but that’s not the case. These items have to be bought by manufacturers who will then go through the process of repurposing the recycled goods. This is actually one of the root causes of our pollution problem as there aren’t enough buyers to purchase the recycled goods to repurpose them.

What are my items turned into?

Depending on the item, your product may be turned into any of the following,

·         Recycled paper journals/notebooks

·         Recycled plastic containers

·         Recycled furniture (glass items)

·         Water bottles made out of recycled plastic

I hope this cleared up all of your questions about recycling! There is no better feeling than putting your plastic water bottles and no longer needed papers into the recycling bin knowing they are being put to good use! Just be sure you’re checking with your local guidelines to insure you’re recycling items than can be recycled at your plant!