Recycling 101
Metal, Glass, Plastic & Cartons is otherwise known as
What is MGPC?
This type of waste includes fruit peels, coffee grounds and egg shells
What is food waste?
The R's stand for this.
Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Recycle, Rot
Single use plastic items are categorized this way.
What are resin codes? The numbers are from 1-7. The most easily recyclable are #1 and #2, but in NYC, you should put all rigid plastics in the recycle bin.
The average NY'er generates this many pounds of waste per day
What is 4.5 lbs
This material, often used to make food and drink containers, can be recycled an infinite number of times
What is aluminum? Aluminum cans and takeout containers are a better choice than plastic options, because aluminum does not degrade with repeated recycling.
This brown material helps balance moisture in compost piles
What are carbon rich materials like leaves or shredded paper
Items that low waste enthusiasts bring with them when they are out and about town.
What are Reusables
Bags, water bottles, reusable coffee cups, a reusable straw, reusable cutlery and maybe some containers.
Synthetic polymers, or plastics, are derived from this.
What is Petroleum Oil?
While natural polymers – such as silk, wool, DNA, cellulose and proteins – occur in nature and are often water-based, synthetic polymers are human-made and derived from petroleum oil. Common synthetic polymers include nylon, polyethylene, polyester and Teflon.
The percentage of food wasted in the US?
What is approximately 30-40%
These items are often incorrectly placed in the recycle bin
What are Liquid, Food, Paper Napkins, Bioplastics. and Soft Plastics? These items are not recyclable. (Soft plastics are only recyclable through specific programs, not in regular recycle bins)
This is a common myth about food and landfill.
What is that Food Waste will become compost in a landfill.
The act of dumping your waste on the floor and sorting into categories
What is a waste audit
Most plastic is not "recycled" into the same product, instead it is either "this" or "that"
What is Upcycled or Downcycled?
Most plastic is downcycled before ending up in landfill.
Globally only this percentage of waste is recycled each year
What is less than 20%
How do you know if a plastic item can be placed in the recycle bin in NYC
What is it is a rigid plastic, or has the #1, #2 or #5 on the package
Composting reduces this green house gas emitted in landfills
What is Methane
Name 2 ways to recycle right
What is dump food and liquids before recycling items
&
Read the signs to know what bin waste belongs in
9%.
What is the amount of plastic ever recycled?
This is the fastest growing material stream
What is e-waste.
Only 22% is formally collected and recycled. 62 million tons was generated in 2022.
This is how many times paper / cardboard can be recycled
What is 5-7 times?
These are two ways that organics are processed.
What is compost or waste to energy.
Compost is the act of turning food waste into a soil amendment and is usually what a community compost program does. Waste to energy is the process of turning food waste into a methane gas that is put into the power grid.
Name two ways to reduce food waste
What is meal prep, freeze your leftovers for later, share with others, order less for catering, donate, compost
This byproduct of our plastic usage is concerning to scientists studying human health
What is microplastics?
Microplastics <5mm. Humans ingest roughly 50,000–120,000 particles annually through bottled water, seafood, and dust. They have been detected in human lungs, liver, kidneys, and blood, potentially causing inflammation and cellular damage.
This contributes 17.1% of total US human caused methane emissions
What is Landfills
This country has the highest recycling rate among OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) nations at 54%
What is South Korea?