It really depends on the type of material and country. Many monoplastics and almost all cardboard can be recycled and is (e.g. in Germany and other European countries).
> Recycling mostly means "sent to landfills in the third world"
This is less true now that China banned plastic waste imports.
I agree though that the average person might overestimate how much of their waste can be recycled. However, many materials are recycled and then re-used, so it's not like the whole concept is a scam.
coldtea|3 days ago
E.g.: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/aug/17/plastic-...
Recycling mostly means "sent to landfills in the third world":
https://earth.org/waste-colonialism-a-brief-history-of-dumpi...
https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2023/03/rich-countri...
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/14/opinion/trash-recycling-g...
shafyy|2 days ago
> Recycling mostly means "sent to landfills in the third world"
This is less true now that China banned plastic waste imports.
I agree though that the average person might overestimate how much of their waste can be recycled. However, many materials are recycled and then re-used, so it's not like the whole concept is a scam.
jkestner|3 days ago
8organicbits|3 days ago
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/critics-call-out-plastics-indus...