Is it recyclable? This is the question on many of our minds, but the answer is not as simple as yes or no. Undoubtedly, the item is recyclable, but there are a host of competing factors that make this a very complex question. Due to the expensive nature of land and regulating air and water quality, the question then becomes: Can someone make money by recycling this? 

Since the average consumer either isn’t aware of or isn’t concerned about what is recyclable, the majority of what is put in the recycling bin is actually trash. This puts a lot of pressure on our waste agencies to sort the recycling from the garbage. To make the situation even more complicated, the quantity of recyclable material produced far outweighs the number of recycling facilities in the United States. With trade bans and environmental concerns about global transportation, our recycling facilities are in a tight spot to adequately handle the material!

So how do you know if any item is recyclable? Let’s look at a few common symbols:

Recycling Logo: This logo has three arrows that look like folded newspapers and represent the “3 R’s” of “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle,” plus negative space that looks like a tree. The first Earth Day in 1970 made this logo a household image and that we now understand as a universal symbol for recyclable material. Unfortunately, there’s no regulating body that administers this logo, so any organization can put it on their product if it has any recyclable properties, regardless of the viability that the product will be recycled. So how do you know if something really is recyclable? If the item is glass or aluminum, place it in your recycling bin. If it’s plastic, read on!

Resin Identification Codes: Similar to the Recycling Logo, Resin Identification Codes have three arrows surrounding a number that corresponds to the plastic properties of the item. The lower the number, the higher quality the plastic and the more likely it is recyclable. (Remember, someone has to be making money off the product, so it will be recycled if there is another organization willing to buy that recycled material.) Right now, Resin Identification Codes 1 and 2 are the most lucrative. So, what do you do with 3–7? If you can, avoid purchasing them. If you must purchase them, reuse them until they fall apart and then check with your local waste agency to see if they accept them in their recycling.

California Redemption Value: Also similar to the Recycling Logo, the California Redemption Value (CRV) has three arrows surrounding the letters “CRV” to identify the container as redeemable for cash. The CRV was created to incentivize consumers to recycle their beverage containers rather than throw them away. The CRV is charged to you for every beverage you purchase, which you can earn back by redeeming at a local recycling facility. Unfortunately, as recycling has become less and less profitable, hundreds of recycling centers have closed in California. Every business that sells CRV beverage containers is required to post on their front doors where the closest recycling facility is to their location. Note: you are not required to redeem these containers for cash; you can place all of them in your recycling bin.

So now that you have this information, what can you do to have a positive impact? Let’s think again on our famous phrase, “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.” The first step is to focus on reducing our consumption of packaging, then reusing the packaging we do need to purchase, and last but not least, recycling viable materials!

For more information about recycling, check out All About Recycling Part 1. If you have any questions, our sustainability coordinator would love to hear from you at sustainability@nuggetmarket.com!