Single Stream Recycling: Solving for Recycling Separation Anxiety?

If innovation in the recycling industry exists, then single stream recycling may be the most convenient recycling innovation to the consumer in quite some time. Basically, it takes the separation of the recycling materials out of the front end of the process and places it on the service provider/collector. Personally, I’ve had recycling separation anxiety when I have a material that doesn’t easily fall into one of the many “known” recyclable materials – aluminum cans, paperboard, plastic bags (of a certain recyclable plastic number) – that I could easily place in a recycling bin.

Now, thanks to a growing list of companies,* single stream recycling can be made more widely available for household consumers and some businesses. Again, the primary benefit removes the separation anxiety at the place of “disposal” (ie. the home or office) and placed it at the collection provider or collection center (ie. recycling center or recycling container).

Single Stream Recycling Process

The folks at Ecocycle have a made a great downloadable PDF of the single stream process and guidelines.

In addition to single stream recycling- allowing for the comingling of materials, there has also been an increase in recycling bins for separation at the point of disposal in public places- airports, convention centers, malls. All in an effort to make it easier to recycle and get the right materials into their correct place. Maybe that is for a different post in the future.

Growth in Recycling Users and Recycling Materials with Single Stream Recycling?
I’d like to see some research or a recycling statistics study on this, but while I think single stream recycling was a “pivot” or adaptation by companies to gain more infrequent recycling consumers- because there is less hassle or anxiety to separate recyclable materials, I still think there is room to grow. While single stream recycling certainly appears to be more convenient to the consumer, it is still up to you to place qualified recycling materials into the bin.

At some point, wouldn’t it be great if all waste was taken by your provider and sorted at the facility. You wouldn’t have a trash or recycling provider- just someone to take what you leave on the curb or dumpster and have the company do the separation for you.

I’d love to hear in the comments section what materials you have recycling separation anxiety about- frozen food containers?, ziploc baggies?, pizza boxes? – or would like to learn more about.