Are you recycling like it's 1999?

October 29, 2024 at 10:01 AM EDT

(BPT) - If you recycle at home or the office, that's great! Mother Nature thanks you. But, when was the last time you thought about how and what you're tossing into your bins? If you're recycling like it's 1999, or even 2019, you might be interested to learn that this practice has changed, evolved and expanded within the past few years. Here's what you need to know.

Organic waste. Organic waste recycling is growing in the U.S., with many cities like Minneapolis, Seattle, Austin, Portland, Boulder, Denver, New York City, San Francisco and more offering curbside composting bins. The idea is to keep food out of landfills, and it works the same as recycling other items, except it's the food scraps from your dinner plate, veggies that have gone bad in the back of your fridge, and any other food scraps you generate while cooking - peels, rinds, egg shells, meat scraps, you name it. Check with your local municipality to see if organic waste recycling is available where you live.

Plastic. Not all plastic is created equal. For example, resin codes - the chasing arrows triangle with a number inside the shape, helps recyclers sort plastics. But, just because an item has a resin code does not mean it is recyclable. The best rule of thumb in recycling plastic is to look for clear messaging about recycling on-pack or check your recycling hauler's website. And about plastic bags: Many cities now offer separate collection facilities for plastic bags.

Cartons. The milk and juice cartons you buy in the refrigerated case and shelf-stable cartons, like those often used to package beverages, broths and soups that don't need to be refrigerated - they're recyclable.

Ten or 20 years ago, this wasn't necessarily the case. It's a big change, and one that didn't just happen. In 2009, the Carton Council of North America formed with the goal of reducing the number of cartons sent to landfills. And they've been successful. Today, food and beverage cartons - like those from Tetra Pak - are accepted in the majority of household recycling programs and are recycled into paper products and green building materials.

Learn more about carton recycling access at any U.S. residential address using this recycling locator tool. Then, recycle your empty carton by tossing it into your recycling bin. It is suggested you keep the cap on or push the straw in to the carton to prevent litter.

Want to know more about how cartons are recycled? Visit Tetra Pak's carton recycling page.

Single-stream vs. dual-stream. This may sound counterintuitive, but many communities are transitioning to single-stream recycling. That's just tossing plastic, glass, paper, cartons, cardboard and other recyclables into the same bin. While this makes it convenient for people, and sorting technologies have advanced to streamline the sorting process, it also ups the risk of contamination. But, getting more people to recycle is a step in the right direction. Homeowners and renters who recycle can do their part to reduce contamination by learning what items their recycling collection facility accepts and only placing those items in the bin.

Electronics. In the past, it was difficult to know what to do when it was time to put that cell phone or television out to pasture. But now, new technologies like sorting robotics and new laws are making it easier to recycle your electronics. Check in your area or visit https://www.epa.gov/recycle/electronics-donation-and-recycling for more information.

Recycling is good for the planet and now, thanks to the good work of dedicated people and organizations like the Carton Council of North America, recycling continues to evolve and improve.

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Are you recycling like it's 1999?

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