When I was in high school, recycling began in my area. Every speck of paper we received or used had to be set aside in bins near the classroom door. Recycling was the consumer’s responsibility.
While it’s true that consumers need to do their part and consider the circular economy, it’s equally the responsibility of product designers. If engineers or designers ignore ways to make products last longer, be easier to repair, or be fully recyclable, consumers can’t do much to help with material recovery and product reuse.
The Problems With Product Designs
If I look around my office, some items clearly illustrate why product design decisions matter. There are two aspects to consider: upstream design and downstream mitigation.
- Upstream Design: Upstream planning includes the initial design phase, during which raw materials are selected. They help shape the energy used during manufacturing, the strength of the finished product, and the item’s average lifespan.
- Downstream Mitigation: Choosing easily recycled materials saves energy and time during recycling at the end of the product’s usefulness. When it’s recyclable, it doesn’t end up in the landfill.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
We’ve all been taught to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Reduce the purchase of unnecessary items, such as single-use water bottles, when you have a perfectly good water source and reusable insulated bottles. Reuse items until they’re past their usefulness. Recycle as much as you can.
When a product’s design impacts one of the three Rs, there’s a problem. Examples of what can go wrong:
- Reduce: You’re purchasing a multi-pack of cucumbers, but your local store packages each cucumber in plastic film and then places those in another plastic bag. All that extra plastic film is wasteful and an example of poor design.
- Reuse: Your phone’s battery stops charging, but there’s no easy way to replace the battery because it’s glued into the device. Recycling is the only option at this point.
- Recycling: You bought a new room spray in a metal bottle, but the packaging includes a plastic spray mechanism fused to the metal bottle. You cannot separate it, and the plastic isn’t recyclable in your area. You have no choice but to throw the entire thing into the trash.
Companies should consider the three Rs when creating their initial design. The more mixed materials an item contains, the harder it is to recycle. Don’t mix materials.
Use recycled materials in the products you make. Instead of relying on raw materials for your cleaning product line, use recycled plastic.
States across the U.S. are jumping on the “Right-to-Repair” bandwagon. If your state hasn’t yet, reach out to your local representatives. Change your business practices to encourage repairs over replacement.
Right-to-repair laws protect a consumer’s right to have items fixed by a repair shop or by themselves. If you have a phone and its screen breaks, you have the right to have the screen replaced rather than scrapping the phone and buying another.
Instead of making electronics with a glued-in battery that’s hard to replace, redesign them. Make components easy to swap out.
Offer Take-Back Programs for Hard-to-Recycle Products
One of my pet peeves is the chicken feed bags I buy each month. They’re made of plastic, and no local business offers a take-back program. Businesses need to consider taking back items that cannot be recycled.
They could easily be returned and refilled, reducing the number of bags produced each year. Instead, I must find ways to repurpose them. Even with reuse, I know they’ll eventually end up in the trash because the woven plastic is not recyclable.
If consumers cannot repurpose items they buy, take-back programs keep products out of the landfill. Set up a take-back program for consumers to utilize. Advertise it on the packaging so that they know it’s available.
How Consumers Can Maximize Recycling Rates
Consumers can send a message by choosing products that make recycling easy. Recycling as much as you can is important, but it can be tricky. You can boost recycling rates by following these tips.
Consider What You Buy
When you’re shopping, look at what the item is made of. If you have a similarly priced item where one is made from recyclable metal, and the other is a mix of metal and plastic, choose the one that’s easy to recycle.
Even better, investigate items like cleaners and toiletries that you can refill. Some retailers offer refillable liquids in plastic pouches. You cannot recycle those pouches, so they’re not the best idea. Instead, look for zero-waste refill stores in your area. Bring your bottles or jars and refill them from the store’s dispensers.
Rinse Food Cans, Jars, and Bottles
Dirty food containers are not accepted. If the contents spill out and cover other items, they can contaminate an entire batch of recyclables.
You do need to rinse cans, jars, bottles, and tubs. You don’t have to run them through a dishwasher or have them spotless, but they do need a thorough rinse. Let them dry completely before putting them in your bin.
Don’t Cram Items Together to Save Space
Saving space in a crowded bin or tote is a logical move, but it also impedes the work MRF sorters do. If you’ve crammed a plastic container into a can, the workers must slow the conveyor belts, separate those items, and continue to the next items. It slows down sorting rates.
When sorting speeds decrease too much, it can lead to mistakes or to recycling being sent to landfills. It can force overtime, which drives up your taxes or trash and recycling bill.
Pay Attention to Recycling Numbers
An item might have the easily identifiable recycling symbol on it, but that doesn’t mean you can recycle it at your MRF. Just because it has the symbol doesn’t mean it’s accepted.
Take time to read the recycling number on plastics. If your district only accepts 1 and 2, don’t recycle anything that is a 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7. If you’re not certain, it’s better to put something in the trash than to risk contaminating a full batch of recycling.
Look at an Item’s Size
Most MRFs require items to be at least 2 inches wide and tall. Bottle caps are smaller and can jam or clog equipment if they’re not screwed on tightly. You should throw away items like bread, tags, pen caps, or tiny bottles of eye drops or food coloring.
Never Throw Away Plastic Bags
Plastic bags are among the worst items to recycle. They may have a recycling symbol, but they’re not recyclable in a curbside bin. Plastic bags wrap around equipment, causing jams and damage.
You can recycle them in plastic film recycling bins located at the entryways of many retailers. Grocery stores often have a green bin for dropping off dry, clean plastic film products such as produce bags, bread bags, bubble wrap, and dry-cleaning bags.
Get to Know Your Local MRF Recycling Rules
Knowing what you can recycle is important. Not every facility offers pamphlets or printed sheets anymore. Instead, you need to go to the website and see if there’s a list. If not, you’ll need to research and look up the items you want to recycle. See if they’re accepted.
One easy way to do this is by accessing Recycle Nation’s online guide. Enter the item and your ZIP code, and we’ll tell you what local MRFs or recycling facilities accept that item.
Consumers can only do so much. Manufacturing companies and product designers need to take action to ensure their products make it easier to recycle, reduce, and reuse. Once this becomes a standard practice, recycling becomes a game-changer for everyone.
