Environmental Question #11 ["Recyclable" Labels]

 Courtesy of Reddit user u/Emergency_Bet_7090

Q: When brands write "recyclable" or something similar..do they greenwash us? 

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A: Good question! The answer is sort of. As I'm sure you already know, just because something can be recycled doesn't mean it ever will be, so writing "recyclable" on their packaging can be an easy way for companies to appear green without actually changing anything about their products or practices. However, there are still some benefits to this. Some packaging types such as metallic foil-lined plastic are difficult or impossible to recycle, because separating the material back into its constituent parts is not realistically viable. So while the best option would be to minimize packaging or make the packaging biodegradable, making the packaging recyclable is still an improvement over having non-recyclable packaging. I think it's important to celebrate small improvements while continuing to push for bigger changes to supply the environmental movement with the hope and momentum it needs to thrive, so I choose to view recyclable packaging as a small win that we need to build on rather than outright greenwashing.  

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