How do you decide whether to recycle or simply bin your rubbish? Do you look for instructions on the label? Or do you use simple common sense?
Either way, you may have been misled. When it comes to recycling, both product labels and “common knowledge” can be wrong.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, many of us will try to do the right thing with bottle caps, paper towels and Pringles tins – despite none of them actually being recyclable.
And although seven Australians out of ten look for recycling information on the packet, even this can be outright wrong. Many imported products will have recycling instructions that are only relevant in the UK or Europe.
Some companies will include an environmentally “green dot” simply to show they contribute to the recycling program – not that the product itself is recyclable.
Now Planet Ark hopes to set things right, with a new labelling system that’s not only locally accurate, but evidence-based.
“Currently manufacturers of packaging and products can put any label they like on it, to say it’s recyclable,” said Planet Ark’s Brad Gray.
“But it’s not backed by any evidence, so they could be telling people to recycle stuff that isn’t actually recyclable”.
For those unsure over what to avoid recycling, Fairfax has shared the following list of tips:
Things you should never recycle
Things you can recycle – but only in the right way
The new labels will make it clear which parts of an item can be recycled and which cannot: yes to the bottle, no to the cap; yes to the cereal box; no to the plastic inside.
As this new system is voluntary, it may take a while before it becomes widespread. Officeworks and Blackmores, however, have both eagerly stepped up to use them.
“We need to convince companies there are benefits from them,” said Mr. Grey.
“There are also a couple of considerations, like ensuring the label is clear on small packets. It takes a long time for a product line to change its packaging,” he said.
“If companies want to encourage their customers to do the right thing, they will use the label.”
Do you feel like you recycle well? Or is it simply a case of guesswork?