How To Know Which Plastic Is Recyclable
91% of our plastic is — not — recyclable
We all know now by now that recycling is not the solution to our plastic issue. This means that even if you put all your plastic products in the recycling bin, chances are most of them will still find their way to landfills and oceans.
Why it happens this way?
Well, first of all, recycling is a business.
Buying new plastic products is still far cheaper than paying salaries to the recycling sector.
Secondly, recycling was created shortly after the invention of plastic. In an attempt to set us free from our consumerist behavior, making us think that we’re doing our part to protect our precious planet.
When, in fact, we’re not even close.
Only 9% of our plastic is recyclable, globally. The remaining 91% is either dumped or burned.
Even if you see the recycling symbol with the three arrows in your plastic item, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s recyclable.
If you really want to know which plastic can be recyclable, you have to find another symbol. This one resembles the traditional recycling symbol but has a number included, from 1 to 7. You may probably find it at the bottom of any plastic product.
