It’s National Recycling Day — But Is Recycling a Lie?
It’s National Recycling Day — But Is Recycling a Lie?
Though you might diligently sort and toss “recyclable” items into your bins, only a small fraction actually gets recycled. Here’s the truth about recycling and some smart ways to make an impact for both your health and the planet.
Recycling Reality Check: The U.S. Only Recycles 5% of Plastic
Recycling sounds like a perfect solution to the waste problem. Just recycle it, right? Unfortunately, it falls short in practice. Only about 5% of plastic recycling in the U.S. is actually recycled¹. The rest? It typically ends up in landfills or oceans, contributing to massive environmental pollution and harming both ecosystems and human health. This is largely due to the complexity and cost of recycling plastic compared to other materials.
To make a real impact, it’s important to prioritize materials with better recycling success rates — materials that can be reprocessed without degrading and are recycled at significantly higher rates than plastic.
Choosing Better: Three Recyclable Materials with Real Impact
Switching to aluminum, glass, and paper products can help reduce waste while supporting a more sustainable recycling system.
1. Aluminum: The Infinitely Recylable Champion
Aluminum cans and containers are among the best materials to recycle, with about 65% of aluminum cans in the U.S. actually recycled². Recycling aluminum saves 95% of the energy it would take to produce new cans, making it a top choice for sustainability³. Plus, 75% of all aluminum ever produced is still in use today, as it can be recycled repeatedly without losing quality².
2. Glass: Another Infinitely Recyclable Option
Glass is another powerhouse material in terms of recyclability. Once produced, glass can be recycled over and over without losing its quality⁴. This makes it an excellent sustainable choice compared to plastic, which often degrades in quality with each recycling round, limiting its uses. By choosing glass, you’re investing in a material that can sustain its value over time.
3. Paper and Cardboard: The Unsung Heroes of Recycling
Though not as sturdy as glass or aluminum, paper and cardboard still make a huge impact with a recycling rate of about 68% in the U.S.⁵. Recycling paper products helps to reduce deforestation and pollution in our air and water. Choosing recycled paper and cardboard, or opting for these materials over single-use plastics, helps curb the demand for new resources.
Making the Shift: Small Choices with Big Impact
Every small change counts. Consider choosing items packaged in aluminum, glass, or paper when you can, especially for commonly used products like household goods. Making these swaps can help you and your family avoid ingredients like PFAs commonly found in plastic-packaged goods⁶, while supporting a cleaner, healthier planet.
On this National Recycling Day, let’s commit to choices that reduce our reliance on plastic and support effective recycling. Together, we can make a lasting impact on both our health and the environment by shifting toward materials that can be truly recycled and reused.
Sources:
1 EPA (2020). "Only 5% of plastic in the U.S. is recycled"
2 Aluminum Association (2021). "75% of all aluminum produced is still in use"
3 Aluminum Association (2021). "Energy savings in aluminum recycling"
4 EPA (2021). "Glass material-specific data"
5 EPA (2021). "Paper and paperboard material-specific data"
6 EPA (2021). "Our Current Understanding of the Human Health and Environmental Risks of PFAs"
