Haunted by Recycling Myths? Let's Bury Them for Good

MYTH: Recycling is broken—it all ends up in the landfill anyway.

   FALSE!  This undead rumor just won’t die, but here are the facts: recycling works when we recycle right. If you live in Kitsap County, your curbside recyclables are processed at the Waste Management JMK Fibers facility in the Port of Tacoma, where materials are sorted, baled, and then sold to domestic and international markets. The real problem isn’t recycling—it’s contamination and confusion. Stick to this recycling guidelines poster and your recyclables will live to see another life!

MYTH: Recycling uses so much energy, it’s bad for the environment.

    FALSE!  Don’t let this myth suck the life out of your recycling efforts! Recycling actually saves tons of energy compared to making products from virgin natural resources. For example:

• Recycling aluminum saves 95% of the energy used to make new cans from raw materials. Recycling just one aluminum can saves enough energy to power your favorite spooky movie marathon for three hours!
• Recycling 10 plastic bottles saves enough energy to power a laptop for over 25 hours—long enough for a full day and night of Hallowe'en chills!

Recycling also conserves natural resources, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and supports local jobs. Now that’s a treat, not a trick!

MYTH: Rinsing recyclables wastes water, so it’s not worth it.

   FALSE!  The water used for rinsing is just a tiny fraction of what’s used in making new items from extracted natural resources. Recycling helps save much more water in the long run than what goes down the drain dishwashing!

You don’t need to give your recyclables a deep clean! Just make sure food and drink containers are empty and mostly free of residue. A quick scrape, rinse, or shake with a little water will do the trick. For those sticky containers (like peanut butter jars), scrape out the food thoroughly, put in your dishwasher, or...let your dog take care of it!

MYTH: Packaging labeled “biodegradable” is automatically green or compostable.

   FALSE! Terms like “biodegradable,” “eco-friendly,” or “plant-based” may sound good for the planet—but these labels are not regulated in the U.S. for packaging and often mislead well-intentioned consumers.

When used to refer to packaging, “biodegradable” simply means the material can break down into smaller components through natural processes over time. But here’s the catch: many so-called “biodegradable” packages are made from both plant-based AND plastic materials. When they do break down, they can produce microplastics—tiny pollutants that harm ecosystems. These items aren’t specifically designed to decompose safely in municipal compost systems, nor are they necessarily safer or made from “greener” materials.

REMINDER: Even plastics labeled “certified compostable” are not accepted in our curbside yard waste program. Check the City of Bainbridge Island's compost guidelines and this poster for what can go in yard waste toters. Definitely DO put all kinds of food in there! 

MYTH: A recycling “chasing arrows” symbol on a package means it can go in the recycling bin.

   FALSE!  That little “chasing arrows” symbol is misleading! It is a largely unregulated symbol and does not guarantee recyclability. Plastic manufacturing companies, in particular, put this symbol on nearly all their products despite the fact that many plastics are not recyclable.

The best way to know whether something is recyclable isn’t by the labeling on the package, but by looking at your local recycling guidelines. Our Bainbridge Disposal/Kitsap County recycling guidelines include plastic bottles, tubs, jugs, and jars. Beware the “wanna-be recyclable” materials like clamshells and cups. They should stay out of your curbside bin!

If you are a hardcore recycler, check out this supplemental poster to the recycling guidelines. It gives you alternative destinations for some of the items listed in the "garbage" section of the recycling poster.

MYTH: All paper products are recyclable.

   FALSE! While most paper items like office paper, mail, newspapers, and cardboard are recyclable, there are some ghoulish exceptions that should steer clear of your recycling bin! Beware of paper towels, plastic-coated paper, and paper that is soiled with food or grease. Here’s why:

• Paper towels and napkins — The fibers in paper towels and napkins are too short to be recycled. These items can easily be avoided with reusable alternatives. If you do have single-use towels or napkins, put them in your yard waste toter. (Wipes or blue single-use towels belong in the trash.)

• Plastic-coated paper like frozen food boxes, ice cream cartons, and to-go cups — They have a sneaky plastic layer that makes them non-recyclable in our area. Banish them to the trash graveyard!

• Pizza boxes with food debris and excess grease are also cursed for recycling because they will start to biodegrade the fibers. Tear off the clean sections (like the unsoiled top of a pizza box) and recycle that; sections with minimal grease can be recycled, too. Compost the food-soiled bottom.

MYTH: All glass is recyclable in your curbside recycling bin.

   FALSE!  While glass bottles and jars are recyclable and can be turned into new glass infinitely, not all types of glass are recyclable.

• Put glass bottles, jars and jugs in your curbside recycling toter. But beware — leave the lids off and keep them out. Take metal lids and metal caps to the BI Senior and Community Center scrap collection bins.

• Other glass (drinking glasses, vases, plates, and cups, etc.) — These glass houseware items have different melting points and cannot be recycled with food and beverage glass bottles and jars. Put them in the trash if chipped or broken. Donate if usable.