Source-Separated Recycling vs. Curbside Recycling: Part 1

Plastic is a problem for the environment. We all know that, right? For years now, we've been recycling our plastic waste by sending it off to be recycled or tossed into landfills where it will take thousands of years to decompose. But what if there was an easier way? Single stream recycling seems like a good idea at first glance: It’s convenient and easy to do, which makes it popular with residents and municipalities alike. However, curbside recycling programs can actually be detrimental to our environment because they don't always result in materials being recovered at high rates. This has been demonstrated multiple times in the past decade with several countries around the world banning imports of curbside recycling, most of which noted that it was the plastic waste that is most problematic for them to recycle ethically.

Plastic is a problem for the environment.

Plastic is a problem for the environment. First and foremost, it's made from oil, which means that when plastic is being made, oil is being burned. This results in carbon dioxide being released into the air as well as other greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. Additionally, most types of plastics are not biodegradable; and often will remain in the environment for hundreds or even thousands of years during which they accumulate toxins such as chemicals used in the manufacturing process and heavy metals like lead or mercury if they were exposed to those while floating around on land (or sea). These toxins then get taken up by animals, birds and fish that ingest them because they mistake them for food particles—including plankton! This is one of several ways that plastic is getting into the food chain, and into our bodies.

Plastic debris poses a serious threat to marine life because many species tend to eat these pieces thinking they are nutritious food sources but end up ingesting dangerous materials instead leading them into becoming sick or even dying due to blockage caused by larger pieces blocking digestive systems (often referred to as "gut impaction").

"There have also been cases where large animals like whales have become entangled with plastics causing death from dehydration since their ability was limited due to entanglement preventing movement needed for basic functions such as breathing properly underwater with ease." -US Fish and Wildlife, 2018

The U.S. Does Not Have a National Recycling Program.

The United States government does not have a recycling policy, strategy, or program. That's right: the U.S. does not have a national recycling goal. There is no federal oversight of how states and municipalities handle their waste management practices to ensure that they are adhering to best practices in plastic recycling, either through curbside collection or curbside processing.

In addition, there are no guidelines that dictate how much weight should be allocated towards each type of material during the sorting process; nor do we require that certain types of material be separated from one another prior to being fed into our nation's recycling plants (a process known as "pre-sorting"). Lastly, there is currently no national law regarding how the ‘recycling chasing arrows’ symbol is currently used, leading to confusion around the nation as to what is actually recyclable in an individual's own community.

Curbside Recycling Programs are Not Uniform Across the U.S.A.

While it is true that curbside recycling programs are becoming more common, this does not mean that all states have them. In fact, the United States does not have a universal recycling program. The U.S. EPA estimates that only 33% of households in the country participate in curbside recycling programs. Even if you live in one of these states and your city offers curbside pick-up service, you should still try to separate your waste into individual streams so that they can be recycled separately at local facilities or through third-party organizations such as EcoGeneration, Garten Services, Next Step Recycling, Bottle Drop, etc.

There is no such thing as single-use plastic.

There is no such thing as single-use plastic. All plastic produced can withstand multiple uses, as it is in the very nature of plastic to be resilient. With that said, most plastic manufacturers choose to make brittle products to ensure that they are cheap, replaceable, and marketed as disposable for “your convenience.”

Plastic is a chemical that can't be broken down, so it cannot be considered a renewable resource. The majority of plastic produced is not biodegradable and isn't made from natural materials—plastic is an artificial substance made by scientists in a lab, which means it's not even technically "made of" anything at all. In recent years we have seen an explosion of so-called biodegradable or compostable plastics hit the market.

While these may seem like a major solution and a win, we will discuss #7 PLA plastics and their shortfalls in a later article to be posted this month.

This raises the question: if it's not biodegradable or compostable, what would happen if we just threw our plastics away? Well, they still don't actually go away. They contribute to long-term solid refuse at landfills, incinerated in solid waste incinerators, perhaps recycled, or into our environment. Even when plastic waste is in the landfill, it is entirely possible for microplastics to be released into local waterways via the toxic leachate that accumulates at the base of any landfill.

Sadly, with the proliferation of plastics, we have yet to even see the full impact of the problem we have created for ourselves.

Commingle Recycling Might be Convenient, but it's Damaging to the Environment

Curbside recycling is convenient, but it's not always environmentally friendly. This is in part because of wishcycling, tanglers, high contamination, and the simple fact of convenience. When something is easy, such as tossing 'recyclables' into a bin, it does not get the person to stop and think about reduction first. It is important that items are first reduced, reused, and reimagined all prior to being tossed into a recycle bin.

In some areas, curbside recycling is the only option for curbside plastic recycling. However, this type of recycling can pose a risk to both the environment and your health.

Let's take a look at how curbside works: when you put plastic into your bin, it gets mixed together with other types of materials like paper, cardboard, cartons, and glass. This means that there is no way to control what kind of materials are being thrown in the bin as recyclables—and because all kinds of plastics are tossed in together without any sorting out process (like with traditional two-bin systems), they'll often end up contaminating processing facilities and creating piles that need to be sorted manually before they can be recycled into new products!

Single stream is also dangerous for workers at these facilities because there isn't enough staff available; only about 10% of all recyclable material collected by municipalities gets recycled due mostly, to contamination issues caused by mixed streams like curbside recycling (which makes up over 30% nationally). This leads us back to where we started: with piles upon piles of contaminated material going straight into landfills! Some areas try their best but, -simply, have too many people dumping things like food waste or hazardous household chemicals into their bins which cannot be processed properly under these conditions.

What You Can Do to Make a Difference With Curbside Recycling

This is a very brief list of some improvements that can be made. Stay tuned for future information on waste reduction.

The more you recycle, the better chance we have to make a huge difference in our environment. So, let's start recycling everything we can!

● First and foremost, make sure you're recycling what can be recycled from your home or office. If there's something that doesn't get picked up by curbside pickup, look for a nearby drop-off location.

● When there are options for ethical plastic recycling, outside of the bin, it is generally a better idea to engage in these services if you are looking to ensure that all your plastic waste is truly recycled.

● Lastly, think about what goes into making paper products—such as newspapers and magazines—and then try to reuse them whenever possible. For example: if you have kids who like using crayons at home, ask them to color on old newspapers instead of buying new ones. If they're an adult and need some entertainment while traveling on business trips or vacations pack some books from home instead of purchasing new ones. When you are done reading those books and don't want them anymore donate them so others can enjoy them instead

Source Separated Recycling may be more complex, but it means a greater material recovery rate.

Source separated recycling for plastic waste is a more complex process, requiring residents to separate their recyclables into different bins, or drop off materials at different locations depending on the type of material they are recycling. However, this method has the advantage of being less contaminated and achieving a higher material recovery rate than curbside recycling. Source separated recyclables are recycled at a much higher rate than curbside materials, as collectors are generally more able to assure remanufacturers that the materials are of a certain plastic resin code.

At EcoGeneration, we have a recycle-through rate of 99.5% of all plastics and materials that we have collected. We are able to do this, primarily because all our plastics are sorted by humans and ensure that they are clean prior to being accepted. By reducing households contamination, such as food and improper materials, we are able to see our plastic be accepted throughout the United States and Canada, without having to send our materials through additional sorters, middlemen, or material recovery facilities.

The Bottom Line

The bottom line is that curbside recycling programs are convenient and the most common way to recycle in the U.S., but they aren’t ideal for helping us reduce our waste footprint. We need more recycling programs that collect source-separated materials so we can reuse, and ethically recycle those materials to the fullest extent, rather than sending them off for disposal at a landfill or incineration plant. In addition, source-separated recycling needs to be part of any efforts in a community to ensure that community members have well-funded and publicized drop-off points or collection events. Plastic waste will be with us for a very long time, and it is time that we start to reimagine how we deal with our collective man-made planetary crisis.

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