I used to be proud when I recycled a plastic bottle. I used to get the warm-and-fuzzies. It doesn’t hurt that recycling is a no-brainer: I would throw the bottle in the blue bin and give myself a pat on the back. But, as it turns out, recycle is the last of the three “R’s” – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – and order matters.

It Takes Energy to Recycle

Recycling is by definition an energy intensive process. Recycled plastic requires energy for sorting, cleaning, shredding, and melting the plastic into pellets which can then be formed into new products. Recycled paper requires sorting and shredding. Large amounts of water and chemicals, added to the shredded paper, create an oatmeal-like slurry called pulp. The pulp is chemically bleached and de-inked. It is then reformed into large sheets of paper by pressing and steaming the water out of the pulp. Due to the chemicals involved, the Environmental Protection Agency rates paper mills among the worst polluting industries in the US. The industry is also the 3rd largest consumer of energy in the US behind the petroleum and chemical industries. Despite the pollution and energy use, don’t stop recycling paper! It is still better to make paper from recycled materials than it is to make new paper from trees.

Recycling is not an Infinite Loop

Recycling plastic and paper also only delays the inevitable: eventually, the material will end up in a landfill, where, in the case of paper, it will breakdown and generate methane. Plastics can usually only be recycled once (durable plastics, like bottle caps, can be recycled twice), and paper can usually be recycled 5 to 7 times. In both cases, each time a product is recycled it is re-made into a product of equal or lower quality – like going from printer paper to an egg carton – until eventually it can no longer be recycled and must be put in the trash.

On the bright side, this is not the case for all recyclables. Metals and glass can be recycled an infinite number of times, making them better choices at the store than paper and plastic containers. Aluminum is the most valuable recyclable item in the US, and it has the highest return rate of all recyclable items. Glass is the most cost-effective item to recycle because it is costly to manufacture from scratch.

Recycling in Crisis

Even though recycling may not always be repeatable, and even though it is energy intensive, it is has long been a viable way to reduce the energy and resources required to make new products. For years, it has been inexpensive for the US to ship recyclables, especially mix plastic and paper, to China for processing. That, however, has been changing. In 2013, under a policy called Operation Green Fence, China began refusing shipments of recyclables from the US because they were too contaminated with food waste and non-recyclable material. In 2018 under the National Sword program, China declared their intent to stop importing all recyclables by 2020. Since January of 2019, plastic imports to China have decreased by 99%.

In response, US companies have started investing in better sorting machines to reduce contamination. New markets have developed for recycling within the US and abroad, but other countries are also starting to limit recycling imports. This is creating a crisis for recycling in the US. The price of recycling materials has dropped. Many cities are either cancelling their recycling programs or stock piling their waste.

Actions You Can Take

To do your part to ensure recycling remains economically viable, be mindful of what you recycle. Do a quick rinse to remove food particles, read the instructions, research what your waste management company accepts. When in doubt, throw it out. If an item isn’t clearly recyclable, don’t be an optimist. Throw it into the garbage. Another way to fuel the recycling industry is to buy products made from recycled materials. Think printer paper, toilet paper, trash bags, etc.

The upshot is that recycling no longer gives me the same feeling of righteousness that it once did. I now know that sometimes even collected recycling materials, in some cases 25%, may go straight to the landfill. Luckily, the first two R’s are still there for me. Every time I sip from my Nalgene or use a dishtowel, I think about how I’ve avoided single-use plastic bottles and paper towels. It may not be thrilling, but it’s morally uplifting.

Good, Better, Best,

Mike