Environmental Science Blog

Recently, in my science class, we did a lab where we brought a bag of trash from home and measured the amounts of each type of trash and whether or not it could be recycled. From this lab, I recognized that many of my fellow classmates did not know what they could recycle. For example, a friend of mine did not know that he should not recycle his styrofoam trash from fast food. Although I have a general idea of what I can recycle, today I want to find out exactly I can or cannot recycle.

Most people know that paper, plastic bottles, and aluminum cans can be recycled. However, here are the answers to some commonly asked questions:

What types of paper can I not recycle?

Almost all paper can be recycled. Everything from printer paper to receipts, but not including paper towels, toilet paper, and tissues. Also, if there is organic/food matter still on the paper, then do not recycle it

Are Plastic Bags Recyclable?

Yes, however, not in your curbside pickup recycling bins. Plastic bags can be recycled at drop off areas like local stores where they recycle the plastic bags. My family collects all of our plastic bags and bring it to the Sprout’s near my house.

What kinds of plastic can I not recycle?

You must first check your local recycling program to answer this question because some places can recycle things where others cannot. However, the rule of thumb is that most of the hard plastic is recyclable. If there is still food in them, then rinse or clean it off. For example, after you drink an apple juice out of a plastic bottle, rinse it out with water before recycling it.

Can Styrofoam be recycled?

This question is very popular, styrofoam should not be recycled. Styrofoam takes extremely long to biodegrade and is a big source of pollution when broken.

Should I recycle batteries?

NO, batteries contain chemicals and metals that are very bad for the environment. Do not recycle batteries. In the past, we were supposed to put the batteries into ziploc bags and throw them away to prevent the bad things inside from coming out.

How big of an impact does one person that recycles regularly have on the environment?

One person does not have that large of an impact on the environment. However, over the duration of your life, things can add up and make a difference. Also, if you were to recycle properly, then you can influence your friends and families to recycle as well. Therefore, a single person does not have that large of an direct impact on the environment, yet that person will still have an impact if they recycle properly.

These common questions that I have encountered will hopefully make a difference in my community. I have also learned about how to improve my own recycling habits while researching this topic. I hope you did too.

-Jalen Zhou