Wishcycling is the well-intentioned but misguided practice of placing items in recycling bins hoping they’ll be recycled, even though they may not be accepted or suitable for a recycling program. This often occurs when people aren’t sure if items can be recycled, and they err on the side of optimism, believing that by placing them in the recycling bin, they’ll find their way to a recycling facility and be processed correctly.
The problem with wishcycling is that non-recyclable items can contaminate the recycling stream, making it challenging and costly for material recovery facilities to sort and process items. Material recovery facilities that accept and sort recyclable items can reject batches — even entire truckloads — of items because of contamination. The facility is forced to discard contaminated batches, even if some of the items in there are still recyclable. Contaminated batches that make it through the system can lead to low-quality recycled materials and products down the line.
Wishcycling can also have unintended environmental consequences, such as recyclable materials ending up in landfills or incinerators, contributing to pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
Frequently wishcylced items include:
- Plastic bags: Many curbside recycling programs do not accept plastic bags because they can damage recycling equipment.
- Styrofoam: Expanded polystyrene foam (commonly known as Styrofoam) is rarely accepted in curbside recycling programs due to its low recycling value.
- Disposable coffee cups: Disposable coffee cups are typically lined with a thin layer of plastic, which makes them difficult to recycle in many programs.
- Pizza boxes: Pizza boxes can be contaminated with grease and food residue, making them unsuitable for recycling in some cases.
- Broken glass: While glass is recyclable, broken glass can be problematic because it can cause safety issues for recycling workers and damage equipment.
- Small plastic items: Items like plastic utensils, straws, and bottle caps are often too small to be effectively recycled in many facilities.
- Electronics: Any electronic items should be taken to specialized e-waste recycling facilities.
- Textiles: Items like old clothing and textiles are not typically accepted in standard curbside recycling programs.
- Batteries: Household batteries, such as alkaline and lithium batteries, are generally not suitable for standard recycling bins and require proper disposal methods to prevent environmental contamination.
- Hazardous materials: Items like paint cans, fluorescent light bulbs, and household chemicals should be disposed of as hazardous waste rather than placed in recycling bins.
As a rule of thumb, many waste authorities use the phrase, “When in doubt, throw it out.” They advise against throwing trash in recycling bins “just in case.” Though this thinking may help the material recovery stream, it doesn’t completely support a circular economy or environmental sustainability.
Therefore, people can prevent wishcycling by educating themselves on materials accepted in their local recycling programs and following local guidelines. This can help reduce contamination and ensure that recyclables are processed more efficiently. However, reducing consumption and reusing items decreases overall waste and prevents unintended consequences.
