{"id":15602,"date":"2018-06-26T08:12:14","date_gmt":"2018-06-26T15:12:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/plantingseedsblog.cdfa.ca.gov\/wordpress\/?p=15602"},"modified":"2018-06-26T08:12:14","modified_gmt":"2018-06-26T15:12:14","slug":"a-look-at-the-plastics-problem-tips-for-recycling-food-containers-from-modern-farmer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/plantingseedsblog.cdfa.ca.gov\/wordpress\/index.php\/2018\/06\/26\/a-look-at-the-plastics-problem-tips-for-recycling-food-containers-from-modern-farmer\/","title":{"rendered":"A look at the plastics problem; tips for recycling food containers – from Modern Farmer"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Out of the 33 million tons of plastic we generate every year, less than 10 percent actually gets recycled.<\/p><\/div>\n

Recycling plastic is a no-brainer these days. Theoretically, it should be pretty easy. Use up the product, rinse out the container, toss it in the recycling bin. Voila! Off it goes to its inevitable reincarnation. Simple, right?<\/p>\n

Not so fast. The reality is unfortunately far more complicated. Americans are locked into a dysfunctional relationship with plastic. Collectively, we generate approximately 33 million tons of plastic trash each year, but less than 10 percent of that actually gets\u00a0recycled<\/a>. And even if you\u00a0want<\/em>to recycle the stuff, the multiple types\u2014polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, and so forth\u2014lead to confusion about how and what plastics can successfully be accepted by most recycling programs. This is a common problem with food containers: Are those plastic clamshells that contain greens recyclable? What about that yogurt container? And that ketchup bottle\u2014can the lid go in the blue bin, too? It\u2019s confusing.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the public cares, but they have no idea what the numbers at the bottom of plastics mean,\u201d says Mitch Hedlund, executive director of\u00a0Recycle Across America<\/a>, an advocacy group that has created a standardized labeling system for recycling bins. \u201cThere is a lack of national communication to help the public know the difference between plastics\u2014what is recyclable and what\u2019s not.\u201d<\/p>\n

So what\u2019s an ecologically minded person to do? Crucially, the less plastic you can use, the better. And when it comes to the old \u201cpaper or plastic?\u201d question, there\u2019s no debate: \u201cPaper and cardboard are amazing if they\u2019re recycled,\u201d Hedlund says. That\u2019s because paper can be easily remade, and more people understand how to properly recycle it. (Though, as Hedlund points out, paper should be kept separate from other recycling to avoid touching food residue and other contaminants.)<\/p>\n

Consuming less overall, choosing paper when given the option, and making recycling easier to understand may sound like simple solutions for the plastic problem, and that\u2019s exactly the point. \u201cWe\u2019re in a great position to make a change,\u201d says Hedlund. \u201cBut we need everybody to start unifying around common-sense solutions.\u201d Eventually, she explains, a critical mass of people changing their habits creates change. \u201cMy five-year goal is for people to say, \u2018Remember when recycling was confusing? Remember when most manufacturers weren\u2019t closing the loop? Remember when there was more plastic going into the oceans than there was going into remanufacturing?’\u201d It\u2019s a noble dream\u2014and, with a collective effort, a possible reality.<\/p>\n

Want to make sure you\u2019re recycling correctly? The first step is to check with your recycling hauler to make sure you understand their rules\u2014every program is different. With that said,\u00a0Recycle Across America has pulled together some general guidelines.<\/a>\u00a0Below, we\u2019ve pulled those that specifically relate to food and beverage containers:<\/p>\n