(Rick Egan | Salt Lake City Tribune) On Friday, July 26, 2019, materials were recovered in the recycling bins in Sugarhouse, waiting for recycling in the Wasatch Front Waste and Recycling Area.

plastic. It is used for everything. Plastic bags, straws, containers, etc. At a very young age, people are taught to throw all kinds of plastic into a blue trash can, which will save the planet. However, does recycling really meet the ideals and beliefs we have been told?

On paper, recycling is a terrific innovative idea, but it is poorly implemented. In Salt Lake City, when you go to recycle a piece of plastic, what do you do? Have you checked the number indicating the type of plastic so that it can be processed correctly into the correct category? Do not! Most people do not follow this behavior because it has never been publicly disclosed or there is no correct recycling bin.

Many misinformation, mislabeling, and misleading statements revolve around the topic of recycling.

I don’t think it’s common sense that there are many different types of plastics. The most common is polyethylene terephthalate. In addition, mixed types of plastic cannot be recycled. Each type of plastic melts at a different temperature and has other unique characteristics due to its molecular structure. Therefore, recyclable plastics can only be recycled if they are properly classified. Recycling mixed plastics can lead to material weakness and pollution.

Utah relies on single-stream recycling systems or "mixed-stream" recycling. Recycling facilities claim to classify materials correctly, but instead, most plastics end up in landfills.

Even after sorting, plastics are difficult to recycle. Nevertheless, it is very important to understand the basics of various plastic types and recycling processes.

I hope there is more accessible information, especially information about plastic handling.

Installing an appropriate bin corresponding to the correct plastic and communicating this information in a loud and clear manner will at least improve the environment a little bit. Obviously, this is a complex problem that needs to be resolved on multiple levels, but I believe that a more open discussion of recycling is a big step forward.

Faith Magda, Salt Lake City

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