We’ve all been told for decades to “Recycle Plastic by Number”, but do we know the history behind this campaign? We’ve been led to believe that these numbers provide a clear answer to what is or isn’t recyclable, but this is not always the case. So, what do the numbers mean? What is the best way to know if one is recyclable over another? And what is the story behind recycling?
Keep on reading to find out!
The History behind Recycling:
The modern concept of recycling is a relatively recent development that gained momentum in the 1980s. It was only in 1980 when the first curbside recycling program was established in Woodbury, New Jersey. Prior to this, the infrastructure we associate with recycling today – such as trucks collecting recyclables and material recovery facilities (MRFs) dedicated to sorting them – was nonexistent. At that time, recycling plastics was an expensive and inefficient process. However, driven by prospect of increased profits, the plastic industry played a pivotal role in advancing the idea of recycling.
By the late 1980s/early 90s, plastic usage was on the rise. Items that were traditionally crafted from paper (think grocery bags) began to transition to plastic due to the significant cost savings that plastic provided. During this period, environmentalists pushed for the ban of plastic and Styrofoam due of the concerns over litter and the large number of years it takes for plastic to decompose.
In response, the plastic industry heavily promoted the usage of plastic and the accessibility of recycling them. The concept was appealing, but it didn’t entirely reflect reality. Consumers were led to believe that buying using plastics was an environmentally friendly choice since you could “recycle” them.
And so, modern recycling began.
1987: Members of Greenpeace display banner saying “Next Time… Try Recycling” aboard Mobro Bargo ship carrying 3,100 tons of Islip Town and New York City trash looking for a dumpsite.
The Resin Identification Code:
Now, where do the numbers come into play? In order to build a system for recycling plastics, the Plastic Industry Association (formerly known as the Society of the Plastic Industry), a trade group, was in charge of creating the system for sorting plastics. Thus, the numbering system was introduced.
The numbers we see on plastic containers are called Resin Identification Codes (RIC). Each number (1-7) represents the kind of resin used in the manufacturing of the product or package. These numbers help identify what type of plastic an item is made from. They DO NOT indicate whether something is recyclable or not.
Plastic Coding System Guide for Resin Types
But Why the Chasing Arrows:
One of the major issues with these numbers is the chasing arrows that surround them, that resemble the recognizable recycling symbol.
In the early 90s these symbols appeared everywhere on plastic products. This was because there were laws requiring these codes to be on nearly every plastic item. This was a result of quiet lobbying from the plastic industry. Environmentalists opposed these codes right away, complaining that they were going to confuse consumers to think items were recyclable when they were not. By the mid-1990s, states were trying to repeal these laws but it led to dead-ends.
The Society of Plastics Industry (SPI), said the industry developed resin codes under “legislative pressure,” and that the numbers were “never meant to indicate recyclability, but only to identify what type of plastic an object was made from.”
“At the time the code was developed, plastics recycling was truly in its infancy,” read a 1993 white paper produced by the SPI and the National Recycling Council. “The arrows helped to indicate that the container was potentially recyclable.”
This is where the miscommunication comes in. These symbols were meant to represent if an item was POTENTIALLY recyclable, which was lost once it was marketed to consumers.
GREENWASHING:
When talking about the chasing arrows on plastics we also have to talk about greenwashing.
What is greenwashing you ask?
Greenwashing is very prevalent practice in today’s marketing where companies portray a misleading image of environmental responsibility to customers. Greenwashing misleads consumers to believing their products are more environmentally friendly than they actually are. This is to capitalize on the demand for eco-friendly products in today’s markets.
Like at the conception of recycling, this tactic makes people feel good about buying their products while they are not doing anything to be better towards the Earth.
Rethinking PLASTIC Recycling:
Hopefully learning all of this makes you start to think … hmm maybe we should be rethinking our thoughts surrounding recycling plastic?!? And now you know the reasoning behind those RIC numbers and their purpose, but they DO NOT indicate if something is recyclable or not.
If so, we’d love to point out that plastic recycling is COMPLICATED + not an easy system. Trying to limit the amount of plastic we use is a great first step to limiting the plastic that either gets recycled or thrown into a landfill.
Here in Porter County, we have talked with our MRF and they say to recycle plastics by SHAPE. When recycling plastics here, make sure to use our guidelines of bottles, tubs, jugs, and jars! Again, which is specifically for recycling PLASTICS in Porter County, IN.
