<aside> <img src="https://prod-files-secure.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/687a667b-eb5c-467a-b120-f259cc732aff/11e49010-3229-43c7-a68d-a0aed2ea930b/1YSC_Watermark_YT.png" alt="https://prod-files-secure.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/687a667b-eb5c-467a-b120-f259cc732aff/11e49010-3229-43c7-a68d-a0aed2ea930b/1YSC_Watermark_YT.png" width="40px" /> Menu
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<aside> <img src="/icons/bookmark_green.svg" alt="/icons/bookmark_green.svg" width="40px" /> Contents
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<aside> <img src="/icons/book-closed_blue.svg" alt="/icons/book-closed_blue.svg" width="40px" /> Topics & Terminology
<aside> <img src="/icons/info-alternate_yellow.svg" alt="/icons/info-alternate_yellow.svg" width="40px" /> Resources
<aside> <img src="/icons/search_yellow.svg" alt="/icons/search_yellow.svg" width="40px" /> Recommended Tools
Model Recycling Toolkit - US EPA
Earth 911 - Recycling Center Search
SMART: Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles
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<aside> <img src="/icons/book_yellow.svg" alt="/icons/book_yellow.svg" width="40px" /> Recommended Reading
The Story of Stuff - Annie Leonard
Cradle to Cradle - William McDonough
How Do I Recycle Common Recyclables - US EPA
Recycling in the U.S. Is Broken. How Do We Fix It? - Columbia
What is Wish-Cycling and Why Does It Matter? – RecycleNation
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<aside> <img src="/icons/playback-play-button_yellow.svg" alt="/icons/playback-play-button_yellow.svg" width="40px" /> Recommended Watching
The Story of Stuff - Annie Leonard on YouTube
how our recycling system went from broken to shattered - Shelbizleee on Youtube
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<aside> <img src="/icons/playback-play-button_gray.svg" alt="/icons/playback-play-button_gray.svg" width="40px" /> Watch Along on Youtube
Reviewing & Recycling Products I Used in 2023: Would I Rebuy Them? | 1 Year Sustainability Challenge
Exploring My Local Recycling Options (in North Carolina, USA) | One Year Sustainability Challenge
Reflecting on January and the Reality of Recycling - One Year Sustainability Challenge
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<aside> <img src="/icons/backward_green.svg" alt="/icons/backward_green.svg" width="40px" /> Back to Introduction
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<aside> <img src="/icons/forward_green.svg" alt="/icons/forward_green.svg" width="40px" /> Forward to February
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For the first month of our challenge, we’re tackling the word that is probably most associated with sustainability**: Recycle**! This month we’ll learn about the modern recycling system in the United States, what materials are suitable for recycling, and how best to recycle your favorite products.
If you’re not already recycling and are able to, what better time to start than now? Check out the guides and resources below to learn what can be recycled and to find a recycling drop-off near you!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSngKqAuDkI&ab_channel=LaurenJordan-1YSC
All definitions in this section have been pulled directly from Wikipedia - directly links to each term’s Wikipedia page can be found if you click on them!
Below are the seven primary recognized plastic types. While many recycling centers will accept the majority of plastic types, many still only accept a handful - generally #1 Plastic - Polyethylene (PET) and #2 Plastic - High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE). Grocery stores will also frequently accept #4 Plastic - Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) in the form of plastic bags. Always check with your local recycling center to confirm which plastic types they accept, and inspect each piece of plastic for its recycling number before putting it in the bin!
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https://youtu.be/4s-T_Iq9jtI?si=R_iWgSUM4FyL7e3U
Until 2018, the US was exporting the majority of their recycling to China. In 2017 alone we exported 16 million tonnes of mixed recyclables. However, 30% of those materials had been contaminated with non-recyclable materials and ended up polluting China’s lands and seas. When China updated their sanitation requirements on the majority of imported plastics in 2018, the US was suddenly faced with a massive amount of our own waste that we were not equipped to process. Even before China’s ban, the US only managed to recycle small numbers of the total recyclable materials we process. These recycling statistics from 2017 - the same year we exported 16 million tonnes to China - are alarming:
Our production of single-use disposable waste was only amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the USA’s expansions of its domestic plastic-recycling infrastructure has been met with challenges and valid concerns over the safety of plastic recycling overall. It’s become abundantly clear that
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GorqroigqM&t=1s&ab_channel=TheStoryofStuffProject
