Many of us are dedicated to recycling, steadfastly sorting our metal, glass, and plastic waste. However, common mistakes can often have unintended consequences, including certain items not being recycled at all.
Recently, Instagram user Emily (@urbanoreganics) shared a simple video hack to get around one such frustrating example. The video highlights how to properly recycle metal bottle caps that are 2 inches in size or smaller.
The scoop
Urban Oreganics asked its users, "Did you know… metal caps smaller than 2" can't just be tossed in the recycling bin?"
Small metal caps, found on such things as beer or soda bottles, are often tossed in along with other recyclables. However, the sorting machines at recycling plants are frequently not capable of properly separating items that small.
"During sorting, caps and lids often wind up with glass shards," said Robert Pickens of the Oklahoma Recycling Association, per Earth911. The end result is that, in many cases, these caps are deemed unable to be recycled and wind up at the nearest landfill.
And that's where Urban Oreganics' popular Instagram video comes in. It advises that you collect your small metal bottle caps inside a larger empty metal container such as a soup or coffee can. When it is full, you crimp the top of the larger can shut and toss it in your recycling bin.
The machines at the recycling plants are then able to handle the larger can. And thus, your caps end up being recycled at their intended destination.
How it's working
It may seem like a small step, but it adds up. Instead of taking up space in a landfill, the caps can ultimately be repurposed and reused in a variety of ways. Plus, many of these caps are made of aluminum, a metal that is infinitely recyclable.
And this is just one of many online hacks working to simplify recycling. A sustainability-focused TikTok account, Grove Collaborative, recently uploaded a video breaking down some common recycling myths. Another account, Alaska Waste, took to TikTok to demonstrate the safest and best way to recycle the sharp tops of aluminum cans.
🗣️ What confuses you most about recycling protocol?
🔘 Which materials I can recycle 📦
🔘 How clean the material needs to be 🧼
🔘 What the plastic numbers mean ♻️
🔘 Nothing at all 😇
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
What people are saying
People were overwhelmingly positive when it came to the original video. One commented, "Love this. Never even thought to do that."
Another was equally effusive: "This is such a good tip!"
Urban Oreganics even offered more advice in the comment section: "I just keep an empty can under my sink and add all the little caps to it for awhile, then crimp it shut and toss it in!"
For more helpful tips about recycling, please check out this helpful guide.
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