Current:Home > My"Chasing arrows" plastic recycling symbol may get tossed in the trash -EquityExchange
"Chasing arrows" plastic recycling symbol may get tossed in the trash
View
Date:2025-04-14 23:53:19
The "chasing arrows" logo is universally recognized as a sign to recycle, but the Environmental Protection Agency is now saying it's also universally confusing. It's recommending tossing the symbol for plastics and replacing it with a new one.
The proposed change comes amid a growing body of research that suggests that plastic recycling isn't working and that most plastic is still ending up in landfills. As little as 5% of plastic is actually recycled, according to one recent study.
"I've been suggesting this for years now, thinking that's confusing," Kate O'Neill, a professor at University of California Berkeley, said of the logo change.
O'Neill studies the global and local politics of waste and recycling.
"So, I try and unconfuse people," she said. "But again, it ought to be easier."
The EPA agrees. In April, the agency recommended the Federal Trade Commission get rid of the chasing arrows recycling symbol for plastics, calling it "deceptive or misleading."
"I think the deceptive part is the symbol because that looks like recycling," said O'Neill. "And sometimes we're told it's recyclable just because it shows that."
Related: The sticky reasons the U.S. hasn't figured out plastics recycling
What went wrong
But not every plastic with the symbol on it can be easily recycled. Inside the chasing arrows symbol sits a small number, called a resin identification code, or RIC.
"The numbers were to communicate to people sorting the plastics, how recyclable they are on a scale from 1 to 7," said O'Neill. "It wasn't ever a signal to consumers to say, hey, all of this is recyclable."
O'Neill said the numbers 1 and 2 are for the hard plastics found in things like containers and bottles. But items with the other numbers, 3 through 7, are more difficult to recycle.
"So, these numbers were a really basic indicator from one set of experts, the manufacturers, to another set of experts, the recyclers and the garbage sorters, to say, hey, you know, this is what can be recycled and what can't," said O'Neill. "Chasing arrows went wrong when people really started seeing it as a message to consumers."
How to eliminate confusion
In the EPA's letter urging getting rid of the chasing arrows symbol on plastics, the agency recommended a new symbol: a solid triangle with the resin code inside that consumers will not visually associate it with recycling programs. The code would eliminate confusion by taking the focus away from a symbol that represents recycling, and instead, bringing back the focus to the resin code for the professionals who sort plastic.
"To be very much more specific about what can be recycled, it's a good move," said O'Neill. "We don't have a lot of federal legislation, so it's good to see a federal agency action on plastic recycling."
As for local legislation, California already passed a bill banning the chasing arrows on products that are not easily recyclable.
O'Neill said California has the right idea, but an even better idea would be cutting down on plastics all together.
"I've never had a conversation with people like, oh, no, plastics are wonderful, and we just need to use more of them," said O'Neill. "Everybody is like, nah, it's getting into the ocean. This is no good."
Related: How AI technology could be a "game changer" in fighting wildfires
- In:
- Recycling
- Plastics
veryGood! (7934)
Related
- What do we know about the mysterious drones reported flying over New Jersey?
- 'No minimum age to start': Illinois teen says investing young allowed her to buy Tesla
- Not your typical tight end? Brock Bowers' NFL draft stock could hinge on value question
- Ayesha Curry Is Pregnant, Expecting Baby No. 4 With Husband Stephen Curry
- Highlights from Trump’s interview with Time magazine
- Putin says talk of NATO troops being sent to Ukraine raises the real threat of a nuclear conflict
- IHOP debuts new Girl Scout Thin Mint pancakes as part of Pancake of the Month program
- Judge rules Jane Doe cannot remain anonymous if Diddy gang rape lawsuit proceeds
- All That You Wanted to Know About She’s All That
- As Caitlin Clark closes in on all-time scoring record, how to watch Iowa vs. Ohio State
Ranking
- IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
- Florida man pleads guilty to trafficking thousands of turtles to Hong Kong, Germany
- CVS and Walgreens to start selling abortion pills this month
- Paul Giamatti's own high school years came in handy in 'The Holdovers'
- Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
- Trove of ancient skulls and bones found stacked on top of each other during construction project in Mexico
- In a rural California region, a plan takes shape to provide shade from dangerous heat
- In Senegal’s capital, Nicaragua is a hot ticket among travel agents as migrants try to reach US
Recommendation
Retirement planning: 3 crucial moves everyone should make before 2025
'Tremendously lucky': Video shows woman rescued from truck hanging from Louisville bridge
Big Brother’s Memphis Garrett and Christmas Abbott Break Up After Less Than 2 Years of Marriage
Kate Spade Outlet Slides into Spring with Chic Floral Crossbodies Starting at $49, Plus an Extra 25% off
The Grammy nominee you need to hear: Esperanza Spalding
Harvard Business School grad targeted fellow alumni in Ponzi scheme, New York attorney general says
U.S. measles cases rise to 41, as CDC tallies infections now in 16 states
Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin's Son Moses Looks So Grown Up in Rare Photo