
The history of waste in America.
Learn how recycling really works—from the chasing arrows symbol and resin codes to how materials move through a Murf, get sorted, baled, and downcycled, with no magic elves involved.
Explore why resin types and clean recycling streams matter to prevent dirty bales, microplastics, and dioxins from polluting oceans and communities.
Identify plastics that actually get recycled: PET code 1 and HDPE code 2 are recyclable; places accept code 5. Rinse and empty containers; read the bottom for the resin code.
Learn how wish cycling contaminates the recycling stream and identify common items that should go to trash, including batteries, plastic film, paper cups, and compostables.
Identify the eight recyclable categories—plastics, HDPE, aluminum, steel and tin cans, clean cardboard, paper, glass bottles, and glass jars—and learn to rinse and prep items for a clean recycling stream.
Hello! You want to recycle, right? Well, I'm here to help you navigate the confusion that surrounds recycling and teach you to recycle right. You may have questions like, why is the recycling symbol on this if I can't recycle it? Or simply, is this recyclable? What do I do with batteries and lightbulbs? etc. In this course you will learn the history of trash in America and why it is so opaque. You will learn how recycling works, what plastic resins are recyclable, why we need clean streams of recycling, and why we should care about recycling. You will learn about wishcycling, and how to avoid it, what is recyclable, and ultimately answer the question: is recycling worth it. Then you can share all of this important knowledge with your friends and family!
I started this recycling training for the food service industry and soon realized that this information would be very helpful to the public at large. I received my AS in Recycling and Resource Management and interned with the U.S. Plastics Pact, a non-profit committed to assisting large brands to reduce their plastic footprint. I have been trained as a TRUE Zero Waste Advisor, and recently started my own non-profit, Recycle Right. I hope you enjoy this course!