Can I Recycle This?: A Guide to Better Recycling and How to Reduce Single-Use Plastics

by Jennie Romer, Christie Young (Illustrator)

Overview

“If you’ve ever been perplexed by the byzantine rules of recycling, you’re not alone…you’ll want to read Can I Recycle This?... An extensive look at what you can and cannot chuck into your blue bin.” —The Washington Post

The first illustrated guidebook that answers the age-old question: Can I Recycle This?

Since the dawn of the recycling system, men and women the world over have stood by their bins, holding an everyday object, wondering, "can I recycle this?" This simple question reaches into our concern for the environment, the care we take to keep our homes and our communities clean, and how we interact with our local government. Recycling rules seem to differ in every municipality, with exceptions and caveats at every turn, leaving the average American scratching her head at the simple act of throwing something away. Taking readers on a quick but informative tour of how recycling actually works (setting aside the propaganda we were all taught as kids), Can I Recycle This gives straightforward answers to whether dozens of common household objects can or cannot be recycled, as well as the information you need to make that decision for anything else you encounter. 

Jennie Romer has been working for years to help cities and states across America better deal with the waste we produce, helping draft meaningful legislation to help communities better process their waste and produce less of it in the first place. She has distilled her years of experience into this non-judgmental, easy-to-use guide that will change the way you think about what you throw away and how you do it.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780143135678
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	04/13/2021
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	230,456
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.10(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Jennie Romer is a lawyer, sustainability expert, founder of PlasticBagLaws.org, and former Legal Associate for the Surfrider Foundation’s Plastic Pollution Initiative. She is the author of Can I Recycle This? and has worked on plastic pollution reduction policy for nearly 15 years

Christie Young is an artist and illustrator currently based in Austin, Texas. She’s collaborated with clients of all shapes and sizes, ranging from Penguin Random House to Bumble to Madewell. Her work is a reflection of her interests in nature, travel, and storytelling.

Table of Contents

Introduction: How to Use This 8ook 1

The Structure of This Book 6

The Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Mantra 8

Introduction to the Recycling System 11

The U.S. Curbside Recycling System 12

Plastic "Recycling" Bags 14

What Does "Recyclable" Mean? 16

Resin Identification Codes 18

History of Resin Identification Codes 20

Material Types Made with Plastic Resins 22

PET vs. Polystyrene Food Containers 24

Expanded Polysterene Food Containers 25

The Flow of Materials 26

Resource Extraction 28

Fenceline Communities 30

Total Waste Generation 32

Global Plastic Production 34

What We Recycle 36

How We Recycle 37

Bottle and Can Deposits 39

Recycling Drop-Off Centers 42

State-of-the-Art Recycling Facilities 44

Glass-Recycling Facilities 52

The Commodities Market 54

Commodities Pricing: It's All about End Markets! 56

Processing Bales of Recycled Material 60

Wishcycling Is Not Helpful 62

Post-Consumer Recycled Content 64

Mandating Post-Consumer Recycled Content 66

Mail-In and Drop-Off Recycling Programs for Non-Recyclable Packaging 68

Other Waste Processing and Disposal 71

Curbside Composting 72

Anaerobic Digestion 74

"Compostable" Plastic 76

Incineration 78

Chemical Recycling 80

Modern Sanitary Landfills 82

Zero Waste and Alternative Daily Cover (ADC) 84

Individual Items: Can I Recycle This? 87

Colors Used in This Section 88

Bags and Boxes

Plastic Carryout Bags 90

Plastic Carryout Bags (in Grocery Store Drop-Off Bins) 92

Paper Carryout Bags 94

Cardboard Boxes 96

Plastic and Multilayer Delivery Envelopes 98

Paper Delivery Envelopes 99

Beverage Containers and Drinkware

Plastic Straws 100

Colorful Plastic Party Cups 102

Foam Coffee Cups 104

Paper Coffee Cups 106

Coffee Cup Lids 107

Plastic Water Bottles and Caps 108

The Bottle Cap Debate 110

The Float-Sink Test 112

Aluminum Soda Cans 114

Glass Beer Bottles 116

Metal Beer Bottle Caps 119

Milk Jugs 120

Milk Cartons 121

Coconut Water Cartons 122

Juice Pouches 123

Plastic Coffee Pods 124

Wine Corks 126

Single-Use Foodware and Packaged Food Containers

Glass Jelly Jars with Metal Lids 127

Plastic Forks 128

Plastic Takeout Food Containers 130

Coated-Paper Takeout Food Containers 131

Pizza Boxes 132

Ketchup and Condiment Packets 134

Condiment Cups 136

Soup Cans 138

Cereal Boxes 139

Cocktail Peanut Cans 140

Chip Bags 142

Candy Wrappers 143

Aerosol Whipped-Cream Cans 144

Baby Food Pouches 146

Yogurt Cups 147

Mesh Clementine Bags 148

Paper Egg Cartons 149

Home Goods and Personal Items

Office Paper: Special NYC Edition 150

Paper Towels and Tissues 152

Aluminum Foil 154

Clothing Hangers 156

Clothing and Fabric 157

Shoes 158

Eyeglasses 160

Disposable Contact Lens Blister Packs 161

Shampoo Bottles 162

Rx Bottles 164

Lighters 166

Face Masks 167

Toothbrushes 168

Toothpaste Tubes 169

Tools

Light Bulbs 170

Batteries 172

Lithium-Ion Batteries (Again!) 174

Flashlights 176

Garden Hoses 177

Extension Cords and Christmas Lights 178

Cell Phones and Laptops 179

The Take-Homes about Recycling 180

The Human Impacts of Shipping Recyclables Internationally 183

Recycling Exports: Why China? 184

China's National Sword Policy 186

The Human Impacts of Shipping Recyclables Internationally 188

Ban International Export of Plastic Waste 190

Plastics in the Ocean (and Everywhere!) 193

Plastic Smog 194

Floating Animals and Plants in the Open Ocean 197

Turtles and Albatross 198

Beach Cleanups 200

Harbor Cleanups 201

Marketing of Ocean Plastic 202

Plastics on Our Plates 205

Voyage to an Ocean Gyre 206

Personal Solutions 209

Personal Solutions 210

Bring Your Own Everything 211

Next Level: BYO Food Containers 212

Buy Food (and Anything You Can) in Bulk 214

Buy Vintage 215

Personal Waste Audit 216

Beware of Greenwashing 219

Make Your Voice Heard to Corporations 220

Policy Solutions 223

Introduction to Plastics Policy 224

How to Get Involved with Plastics Laws 225

Find Organizations Working on Plastics Policy 226

How a Bill Becomes a Law 228

Examples of Plastics Laws 230

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Laws for Packaging 232

The Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act (BFFPPA) 234

The Future of Plastics Policy 235

Reuse or Recycle This Book! 239

Acknowledgments 241

Sources 245

Index 249

Editorial Reviews

If you’ve ever been perplexed by the byzantine rules of recycling, you’re not alone. And if you wonder how the system even works — and how you can make it better — you’ll want to read Can I Recycle This? A Guide to Better Recycling and How to Reduce Single-Use Plastics. The book provides an extensive look at what you can and cannot chuck into your blue bin.” —The Washington Post
“In her must-read new book, [Jennie Romer] shows you how not to be a “wishcycler”— someone who wishfully thinks things they recycle will be recycled. You’ll be unpleasantly surprised to learn which of your “recyclables” and “compostables” don’t actually get recycled or composted, and instead, end up creating air and water pollution, and contributing to climate change.” —The Sierra Club 

“Can I Recycle This? A Guide to Better Recycling and How to Reduce Single-Use Plastics handily mixes practical information with shots of hope. . . . Young illuminates Romer’s points with wit and can-do cheer, and a vibrant color palette that helps elevate a weighty topic into something more engaging. She’s a natural fit with Romer’s conversational prose.” —Pasadena Weekly

From the Publisher