by Beth Terry
True or False:
1) Plastics that go into a curbside recycling bin always get recycled.
2) Curbside collection will reduce the amount of plastic landfilled.
3) A chasing arrows symbol means a plastic container is recyclable.
4) Packaging resins are made from petroleum refineries’ waste.
5) Plastics recyclers pay to promote plastics’ recyclability.
6) Using plastic containers conserves energy.
7) Our choice is limited to recycling or wasting.
According to the article, “7 Misconceptions about Plastic and Plastic Recycling” on Berkeley’s Ecology Center web site, the answer to all 7 questions is FALSE.
How did you do? If you answered “Yes” to any of these questions, please read the full article to understand the difficult problems that plastics create. Solving them is more complicated than you might think.
