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Think you’re recycling correctly? You might be sending it all to the landfill without realizing it. In this article, we break down what really  happens when you toss something in the recycling bin. From sorting facilities and processing methods to why only 9% of plastic is actually recycled, we cover how everyday habits, such as not rinsing containers or using plastic bags, can contaminate an entire batch of recyclables. You ’ll learn about the top recycling mistakes people make and how to decode those confusing plastic number symbols. This article will help you recycle smarter, reduce waste, and make a real impact. Check out our previous post, Trash Talk: What Happens After You Throw Something Away , to get even more info on where your waste goes and what to do about it. The Process First of all, what is recycling? The EPA  defines it as “the process of collecting and processing materials that would otherwise be thrown away as trash and turning them into new products.” But how does the water bottle you throw into the recycling bin get to this point, if it ever does? When you throw something in a designated recycling bin, in a perfect world, it would be collected by either a private company or a government entity. This is virtually the same as garbage pick up and also has a variety of methods like curbside pick up, drop off centers, recycling dumpsters, and sometimes deposit or refund programs. Sometimes these recyclable materials that are in with standard waste get sorted out as well.  After all of these materials are collected, they are taken to a recovery facility where they are sorted and cleaned. The first stages of this sometimes happen manually, where large pieces are sorted and/or any obvious pieces that cannot be recycled are removed. Other times this process involves the use of machinery. An optical sorter for example, separates different plastics, and an Eddy Current Separator uses magnetic induction to sort through different metals. There are also air classifiers to separate items by weight and magnetic separators, which use magnets to pull out and separate different materials. Once everything is separated, these materials are processed respectively before being processed to be recycled. This looks different for every category of materials. Plastics could be shredded and melted to be reused in some way, similarly, metals are crushed and melted down. Paper and cardboard are pulped, which means the fibers are really, really broken down and mixed with water to make a slurry mixture. All of that to say these materials are broken down to then be reused in some capacity.  The recycling process sounds amazing; it's good for the environment, can help conserve resources and reduce greenhouse gases, can contribute to a more circular economy, and can lead to some savings. But this process is incredibly flawed. Only 9%  of the world’s plastic is recycled. The rest is thrown away to end up in a landfill or burned, or mismanaged in some way.  Why? Several reasons, not all of which we have clear answers to. But let's talk about contamination because that is something we, as everyday people, have a bit of influence over. Contamination In the context of recycling, contamination means the wrong things are put in the recycling bins, so non-recyclable materials are mixed with recyclable materials and/or unclean materials are mixed with the clean materials. In either scenario, this can ruin the entire batch of recycling and could lead it to going to a landfill instead.  In the UK specifically, 84%  of households are unintentionally contaminating their recycling bins. For the US, the contamination rate is 25%  meaning, on average, every 1 in 4 items put in the recycling bin cannot actually be recycled.  What is deemed recyclable is going to vary depending on where you live, so make sure to check with your local council if you’re in the UK or your township or county if you’re in the States. There are certain things however, that should never go in your recycling bin no matter what! This includes food waste, any type of animal waste or diapers, food containers, anything that is greasy or wet, and any female hygiene products including plastic applicators! You can double check with your council but more often than not any type of plastic or materials associated with bodily fluids or PPE is not recyclable due to contamination risks. Again check with your local council for further specifics but in any research that I have done those are a few things to never be recycled. Recyclingbins.co.uk  did a post talking about a study done by Recycle Now and listed out the top 10 recycling contaminants  in the UK. These are items commonly thrown in the recycle bin that cannot actually be recycled: drinking glasses foil pouches toothpaste tubes plastic film lids tissues and paper towels glass cookwares plastic film cartons plastic toys frozen vegetable bags Keep an eye out for those things and make sure to dispose of them properly. How to Properly Recycle Recycling Symbols When in doubt, look for the classic little triangle made out of arrows, but have you noticed the little numbers inside of those? Those little numbers are the Resin Identification Code  or IRC they range from 1 to 7 and are used for proper recycling and help with waste management. These numbers correspond to a specific type of plastic. The number 2, for example, means the material is made out of High-Density Polyethylene. Chances are, your milk jugs or laundry detergent bottles have a number 2 on them. Number 7 though just represents “other” so if something is not made up of the most common other 6, it is labeled with a 7. Not all facilities recycle number 7 plastics since it's so vague, but again thats something to check with your local council about.  Once you establish what kind of plastics your local facilities accept, you can be sure to look out for these numbers and that you're recycling the correct ones. Wash Your Recycling Rinsing your recyclables can help reduce contamination by ensuring any leftover food or liquid left on the items is discarded before entering the bin. This does 2 things: it helps prevent contamination of the whole bin because there's nothing to spill and get all over it, and it contributes to the efficiency of the whole recycling process. After being sorted within the recycling facilities, the materials are washed before being processed and used to make other goods. The cleaner the materials are that enter the facility, the less energy and resources are needed to clean them. This of course, is a bottom-up approach to efficiency but a collective effort could have a big impact. Skip Bagging Your Recyclables Keeping your recycling items loose in the bin is also very important because if the items are kept in a bag, especially if it is not see-through. The items will not be sorted and will instead be thrown away since there is no telling what's inside. If you think about the volume of waste these sorting facilities have to go through every single day, there is no time to be opening individual bags, especially because the sorting process is often a mix of manual and machine labor. The robot is not going to untie your garbage bag, it will remove it form the pile and move on. For the people employed by the sorting facilities, it is a health and safety risk to untie closed bags as there could be dangerous contaminants inside. In Conclusion: Recycling is a very inefficient process; however, it is better than the alternative of things ending up in landfills. It is not our fault this system is set up inefficiently, but we do play a direct part in it and can help out with its efficiency in being more mindful regarding our recycling practices. The biggest issue is to make sure you aren't accidentally contaminating your recycling bin and to make sure you’re recycling the correct things. Check with your local councils to see what the recycling facilities accept, and use those little triangles and numbers to guide you. Additionally, make sure you're rinsing off and drying anything you do recycle, and make sure to leave it all loose in the bin for collection.  For more information about where your household waste goes, check out our article on landfills here .

Ever wonder what actually happens to your trash after it leaves your curb? In this article, we dive into the hidden journey of waste—where it goes, how it’s managed, and why it matters. From landfills and incineration to recycling and waste-to-energy plants, this article explores the systems that handle the 4.9 pounds of trash the average American produces every day. You'll learn about the environmental and health impacts of landfills, the role of consumerism in our growing waste problem, and how a circular economy could offer solutions. This isn’t about guilt—it’s about awareness and empowerment. By understanding what happens to our waste, we can start making more conscious choices that reduce our footprint . When it comes to trash, "out of sight" shouldn’t mean "out of mind." The Basics What Happens when you throw something away? Where does it actually go? There are a lot of variables here, but for the most part, there is a basic process that happens once you throw something away. The trash is collected and sorted, and then dispersed to various end locations and processes, sometimes landfills, sometimes incineration, or maybe a recycling facility. Most developed countries have waste collection services that you pay into if you own a home, for a company to come by on a weekly or so basis to pick up your trash bins and collect their contents. For apartments or flats, a similar thing often applies where you either pay a fee on top of your rent, or it is factored into the cost of your rent already, for a company to come collect the contents of the dumpsters on site. In the Unites States they are called garbage trucks, and there are about 180,000  of them nationally, each having separate routes to collect trash. Some companies take these loads straight to a landfill. Other companies and services might go to a Material Recovery Facility first, which is where the contents are separated and dispersed to recycling facilities, landfills, or waste-to-energy facilities. If landfills are quite far from where the waste is collected, sometimes it will be taken to a transfer facility in between. Landfills According to the World Bank  , landfills are the most common destination of waste, with about 37% of waste globally ending up in some form of landfill. A close second is open dumping, which is where about 31 percent of waste ends up. Open dumping is arguably worse than landfills because its unregulated. There does not have to be any protections in place like liners or other things that landfills use to help mitigate some of the negative consequences of them. It is literally, as the name implies, the practice of dumping the waste in an open area. So what's a landfill then? Luckily, landfill regulations have come a long way in the past few decades to help mitigate the negative consequences of them on human health and the environment. In the US they are federally regulated and there are various types of landfills each following respective protocols. Generally speaking, a landfill is a site designated and designed to contain household trash which now have structures in place to help prevent contamination of their surrounding areas. Typically, the bottom of landfills are lined with clay and then a layer of plastic to collect any liquid or toxins that are released as the trash is compacted. Often times there is a drainage system to collect any liquid released. Layers of trash are added on and compacted, sometimes mixed in with layers of dirt. A “completed landfill” is then sealed over with another layer of plastic and clay, topped with a very thick layer of soil so in theory, things can grow on top of it and it remains covered. However, this does not change the fact that it is still a pile of trash, and this trash decomposes to varying degrees which releases methane, a greenhouse gas. Landfills often have a very distinct and pungent smell as methane is responsible for a cow-manure stench. This, coupled with literal tons of garbage, makes for a less than desirable sensory experience. In newer landfills, the methane is collected and sometimes burned for energy or vented. But this and other air pollutants released by landfills can have negative health effects on people who live nearby. Landfills are typically constructed in lower-income areas which have less access to resources in the first place. Additionally, if there is a leak in a landfill, that liquid called leachate can contaminate the groundwater supply. Incineration Incineration occurs at a waste-to-energy plant. This is where solid municipal waste (aka your garbage) is burned to create electricity. In the US, the most common method for this is called the mass-burn system. Put simply, a large sum of waste is put into an incinerator with a boiler that produces steam. This energy is then turned into electricity. The pro of any incineration method is that it largely reduces the volume of trash as it's reduced down to ash. There are some pollution measures in place to collect certain contaminants from the smoke before it's released through a smoke stack, but incineration does still release greenhouse gases, mostly carbon dioxide. The Big Picture Why does this matter? What does a landfill have to do with you and your little household waste bin? The society we live in today is largely based on consumerism. One of the implications of that is the heightened production of waste. A linear economy which is what the capitalistic society largely operates by, is the process of extracting materials, turning those materials into something, or producing something from them, consuming that product, and then disposing of said product. Conversely, a circular economy has much more emphasis on reuse and repairing, and recycling or composting to keep things in circulation and minimize what is wasted. It is not your fault the system is built to operate linearly; however, we can and do have a responsibility now that we are informed to adjust our actions accordingly. This is especially important if you live in the developed western world, as the country that produces the highest amount of solid municipal waste is…drumroll please…the United States. To add fuel to the fire, the United States and Canada are both ranked very poorly for waste management systems.  Environment America gave a very eye-opening visual: Every 15.5 Hours  Americans throw out enough plastic  to fill the Dallas Cowboys home field, the largest NFL stadium in the country. What Does This Have to Do With You? The average amount of waste generated by Americans is 4.9 pounds per person, per day. It's no surprise now knowing these numbers, that 7 states are projected to run out of landfill space within the next couple years. Additionally, the entire United States is projected to run out of landfill space in less than 60 years. At the time of writing this article, I am 26 years old. If all goes according to plan, I will still be alive during that time. This is a problem that is already unfolding and will continue to unfold throughout our current lifetime. This is not an abstract issue happening in 200 years from now. That is why your lifestyle matters, that is why what you throw away matters, that is why that plastic carton that you threw out instead of recycling matters. We’ve all done it; we have all been guilty of that, and the recycling system is also far from perfect. This article is not meant to scare or shame you. But to give you the information that's out there and connect this information to your own habits and your own life. It is not your fault the system is set up linearly, but now that we know better, we can make a change. So now we ask that you reflect on your own life and that 4.9 pounds of waste per day and see if that resonates, and start identifying where you can reduce waste in your life. Imagine if everyone in the US did that, let alone the world, how much different these scenarios would look; how fewer landfills there would be and how much cleaner our air and water would be. Let's not forget we’re in this together. Together we have the power to make this world a much more comfortable and sustainable place. Resources Used to Write This Article: https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/landfills/   https://datatopics.worldbank.org/what-a-waste/trends_in_solid_waste_management.html#:~:text=It%20is%20a%20frequent%20misconception,Saharan%20Africa%2C%20and%20South%20Asia .  https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/biomass/waste-to-energy-in-depth.php   https://opdenaker.com/understanding-where-your-waste-goes-after-pickup/   https://environmentamerica.org/washington/articles/a-day-at-the-landfill/   https://environmentamerica.org/center/resources/trash-in-america-2/   https://sensoneo.com/global-waste-index/   https://www.rts.com/blog/what-is-waste-to-energy/#:~:text=Waste%2Dto%2Denergy%20cons,emit%20damaging%20greenhouse%20gas%20emissions .  https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling/national-overview-facts-and-figures-materials

In this article we dive into France’s bold move against fast fashion — from Shein’s €40 million fine to a possible crackdown on influencer hauls. You’ve probably seen the headlines about France “banning Shein hauls,” but what’s actually happening? I looked into the facts behind the viral posts and unpack what this means for the future of fast fashion, influencer marketing, and sustainable shopping. We’ll discuss how France is utilizing legislation to target ultra-fast fashion brands like Shein and Temu, and why this matters for both people and the planet. Whether you’re a secondhand shopping pro or just starting to think more critically about your closet, this one's for you. Thanks for being here. What is Fast-Fashion? To start with we need to understand what fast fashion is. The World Wildlife Fund defines it as the highly profitable global industry that mass-produces cheap, low-quality clothes and accessories. It continuously creates fashion trends and gets products ready for sale quickly. And in turn, consumers increasingly see fast fashion as disposable – to be worn a few times and replaced by the next inexpensive item or latest trend.  This can be observed especially during festival times in the summer or vacation season, where people buy all of these new outfits and things for the sole purpose of being worn one time for whatever the event is and then never again, it's the super trendy or themed pieces.  Humanitarian issues are one side of the coin and the environmental toll of the fast fashion industry is the other. The fast-fashion industry is associated with inhumane working conditions for garment workers and has been referred to as modern slavery as a lot of these workers are making well below a living wage and work in horrible conditions. Textile waste and emissions are two of the main environmental hazards associated with fast fashion. Globally, the fashion industry produces around 92 million tonnes  of textile waste annually. It also accounts for around 10% of global carbon emissions, and if nothing changes, that number is predicted to rise to 26% of the world's carbon budget if we are aiming to limit global warming to 2 degrees celsius.  There’s a bit of context for you on the fast fashion industry. Let's circle back to France.  France Issues a Fine On the 3rd of July this year, 2025, France fined Shein a 40 million Euro fine, which is just under 49 million US dollars, after a year-long investigation that found the retailer guilty of deceptive commercial practices. Shein accepted this fine. These claims were made on the basis of misleading consumers about price reductions and the scope of the company's environmental claims.  Shein was found guilty of being deceitful in how they marketed products to be on sale when they really weren't, and changing pricing, among other things. This next statement is a quote from Euro News which says “On top of misleading customers, the French anti-fraud and competition agency found that Shein was "unable to justify the environmental claims made on its website", describing itself as a "responsible company" which limits its environmental impact by "reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 25%."”French authorities determined that these statements contradict the firm's business model, which is "based on an abundant supply of textiles at low prices."  While this was a win against the fashion giants, we need to put this into perspective. In 2024 Sheins profits were still around a billion dollars, granted that is significantly lower than their profits of 2023 which came in at 1.6 billion and this could be for a couple of reasons including the rise of competitors like Temu. So although 40 million Euros is a hefty fine, the amount by comparison falls somewhere between 4-5% of the company's profits last year. Fast-Fashion Advertising Restrictions But this fine is just one piece of the puzzle as far as France’s attack on fast fashion. They have also amended a climate bill already in existence regarding anti-waste and circular economy laws. This is where the social media posts about France banning hauls come in to play. The new text proposes environmental penalties on ultra-fast fashion products sold in France, with higher fines for companies whose business model relies on hyperproduction, which would be fast fashion. Not all retailers are held to the same standard, but Shein and Temu have become the poster children for this bill as they are ultra-fast-fashion and rely on hyperproduction and consumption. This bill also includes some advertising restrictions. In an article by BBC , an interesting comparison was made to other advertising bans like the banning of certain cigarette advertisements in the US back in the 70s and how the language used in these proposed bans are very similar with the French Bill. “This evolution of the apparel sector towards ephemeral fashion, combining increased volumes and low prices, is influencing consumer buying habits by creating buying impulses and a constant need for renewal, which is not without environmental, social and economic consequences." These advertising restrictions are where the hauls come into play. The bans on advertising cover traditional ads but also influencer-led ads. Under this new bill, influencers promoting these targeted brands could also face penalties. In Conclusion These amendments are not officially in place yet, but have been passed by the French Senate already and are expected to move to a joint committee in September. And while these things take time to roll out, France's crackdown on fast-fashion could set and example and precedent to other governments and fast-fashion giants in setting limitations and expectations on these environmental and humanitarian issues. But of course, nothing is really a perfect system. There are counter-arguments from the companies that this will hurt consumers by making things more expensive amidst already heightened inflation, and the US tariffs have had an impact on this as well, although through different motives. Nonetheless, these efforts could help slow down the production and consumption of these products. If nothing else let this episode be a reminder to you to stop shopping at Shein and other companies known for being deceptive. There are still plenty of affordable options out there if you’re on a budget. Online second-hand retailers would be a great place to start.