You’re probably recycling wrong. This quiz will help you sort it out.
What can go in my blue bin? The answer — and even the bin color — can be different from one neighborhood to the next, so we’ll try to help curb the confusion.
Most U.S. residents who have recycling at home can toss items such as cans, bottles, cardboard and old editions of The Washington Post together into one container.
That’s called single-stream recycling, and while it is convenient for us, it means all those different materials have to be trucked away and sorted before they can go to a paper mill, a plastics recycler and so on. So far, so good.
This is the basic sorting process at the Manassas, Va., materials recovery facility. The types of equipment and the arrangement of the machines may be different in other places.
Pile of
recyclables
Drum
feeder
Pre sort
At many points in the process, human sorters watch the line and pull out items that shouldn’t be there.
CARDBOARD
Cardboard
sorting
Paper, plastic and metal keeps going
Glass sorting
Glass
Paper
sorting
Ballistic
separator
A computerized optical sorter recognizes paper and blows it off the line.
Separates objects by shape and material in 2D and 3D.
Paper
Plastic
sorting
Magnetic
belt
Plastics
Nos. 1 and 2
Plastics
No. 5
Steel
Optical sorters use image-recognition and beams of light to detect different types of plastic.
Last
chance
Aluminum
sorting
Trash
People look for any remaining recyclables before the “residue” goes to the trash.
Aluminum
This is the basic sorting process at the Manassas, Va., materials recovery facility. The types of equipment and the arrangement of the machines may be different in other places.
Pile of
recyclables
Drum
feeder
CARDBOARD
Pre sort
Cardboard
sorting
At many points in the process, human sorters watch the line and pull out items that shouldn’t be there.
Paper, plastic and metal keeps going
Glass sorting
Glass
Paper
sorting
Ballistic
separator
Separates objects by shape and material in 2D and 3D.
A computerized optical sorter recognizes paper and blows it off the line.
Paper
Plastic
sorting
Magnetic
belt
Steel
Plastics
Nos. 1 and 2
Plastics
No. 5
Optical sorters use image-recognition and beams of light to detect different types of plastic.
Last
chance
Aluminum
sorting
Trash
People look for any remaining recyclables before the “residue” goes to the trash.
Aluminum
This is the basic sorting process at the Manassas, Va., materials recovery facility. The types of equipment and the arrangement of the machines may be different in other places.
Pre sort
At many points in the process, human sorters watch the line and pull out items that shouldn’t be there.
Pile of
recyclables
Drum
feeder
CARDBOARD
Cardboard
sorting
Paper
sorting
Paper, plastic and metal keeps going
Glass sorting
A computerized optical sorter recognizes paper and blows it off the line.
Paper
Glass
Aluminum
sorting
Ballistic
separator
Magnetic
belt
Plastic
sorting
Separates objects by shape and material in 2D and 3D.
Steel
Plastics
No. 5
Plastics
Nos. 1 and 2
Aluminum
Optical sorters use image-recognition and beams of light to detect different types of plastic.
Last
chance
Trash
People look for any remaining recyclables before the “residue” goes to the trash.
This is the basic sorting process at the Manassas, Va., materials recovery facility. The types of equipment and the arrangement of the machines may be different in other places.
Cardboard
sorting
CARDBOARD
Pile of
recyclables
Drum
feeder
Glass sorting
Pre sort
At many points in the process, human sorters watch the line and pull out items that shouldn’t be there.
Glass
Aluminum
sorting
Plastic
sorting
Magnetic
belt
Ballistic
separator
Paper
sorting
Separates objects by shape and material in 2D and 3D.
A computerized optical sorter recognizes paper and blows it off the line.
Aluminum
Plastics
No. 5
Plastics
Nos. 1 and 2
Steel
Last
chance
Optical sorters use image-recognition and beams of light to detect different types of plastic.
Paper
People look for any remaining recyclables before the “residue” goes to the trash.
Trash
The puzzling geographical differences between what can and can’t go into a bin arise because not all sorting technology is identical, and not all local markets for recycling materials are the same.
The result is that a lot of people mean well but recycle wrong.
Fortunately, if you know some key information, you can improve your recycling no matter where you live.
Question 1 of 8
Plastic bags are recyclable, so they just go in the bin, right?
Question 2 of 8
Do recyclables have to be totally clean and dry, or more like my-dog-licked-out-all-the-peanut-butter clean and dry?
Question 3 of 8
Okay, no bags in the bin. Can all other plastics go in?
Question 4 of 8
Plastic caps and bottles seem like different things, so should I leave the caps off?
Question 5 of 8
Do I need to remove tape from boxes, staples from catalogues and windows from envelopes?
Question 6 of 8
Cans and bottles get crushed anyway, so can I just do that myself to save space in my bin?
Question 7 of 8
What’s the worst thing I can put in my bin?
Question 8 of 8
Which handy slogan helps consumers know whether something should go in their recycling bin?
Ready to fill your bin?
Click on the items you’d put into your recycling bin, and we’ll tell you if you’re right according to what’s accepted in most places.
Select items you’d put into your recycling bin.
You found 0 out of 10 recyclable items.
Paper envelopes
Plastic shampoo bottles
Styrofoam egg cartons
To-go paper coffee cups or lids
Packing peanuts
Foil
Loose shredded paper
Beverage cans
Clothing
Soup can lids
Plastic inflated packing bags and plastic envelopes
Creamer cups
Empty paper towel and TP rolls
Plastic takeout containers
Compostable utensils
Glass jars
Candy wrappers
Printer paper
Milk cartons
Milk jugs
Wood
Aerosol cans
Small electronics
Brown packing paper
Batteries
Ceramics
Wire hangers
Newspapers
Cereal boxes
Animal pelts