Recycling, Composting, and Biodegradable What is the difference? When to do what?

In this article, we’ll be taking a detailed look at recycling, composting, and products that are biodegradable. We will start with a basic explanation of these terms along with the benefits that they have on our environment and conclude with an explanation of how it is essential to carefully evaluate which of the three methods that you should choose when it comes to discarding products, packaging, and waste.

Moreover, we have categorically classified everyday use items into three sections based on what methods of waste management work best for them. It is very important to analyze the pros and cons of using either of the three methods of recycling, composting, and leaving products to biodegrade. This is because while recycling may be a very effective way of reducing your waste, it might not be ideal for certain products. If we consider the example of food waste, it should be composted, or else it is going to end up in landfills and cause greenhouse gas production. Food waste accounts for nearly 1/3 of greenhouse gas emissions. Similarly, if we speak about glass, we can recycle it and convert it into a different form. Glass is biodegradable but instead of waiting for it for hundreds or thousands of years to biodegrade, we can always make better use of it by recycling it or repurposing it. Simply because something is biodegradable does not imply that we mindlessly throw it away. So, choosing what we do with our waste is extremely critical if we want to reduce our carbon footprint effectively.

For some background information, recycling and composting collectively come under the category of waste management which can be described as the activities that are carried out to effectively manage waste which includes both unwanted and unusable materials, in the most environmentally sustainable way possible.

On this note, let’s dive in and begin with discussing recycling. 

What is Recycling?

Recycling is a process that fundamentally works on collecting and processing materials in a way that they can be benefitted from multiple times. It serves as an alternative to throwing away products when they are no longer useful.

Recycling can be categorized into three main types that are as follows: primary, secondary, and tertiary recycling. Primary recycling is also referred to as closed-loop recycling. Here products are basically transformed into more of something for example paper can undergo the procedures involving primary recycling and turned into more paper over and over again. Similarly, aluminum cans can undergo this process and get converted into more cans. Then comes secondary recycling which means turning something into other things that are made of the same material in the same form. Tire recycling is an example of a secondary recycling process. It isn’t classified as primary recycling, because most of the recycled tires do not end up as new tires and are instead converted to other usually rubber-based products. Lastly, tertiary recycling, also known as chemical recycling involves chemical procedures that break down materials in a way that they produce something very different.

To summarize, primary recycling allows for the creation of the same product without using more natural resources, secondary recycling works to incorporate materials from used products into things we already produce and tertiary recycling involves a complete transformation through chemical means.

Recycling is becoming very important these days because of several reasons. In a world under threat from climate change and a possibility of running out of many important resources, it helps prevent pollution, saves energy, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and the need for extracting, refining, and processing raw materials which result in air and water pollution.

Below is a list of products that should be recycled to bring in maximum environmental benefits. This conclusion is not just based on the environmental factors but also because some products should be recycled since they have the potential of being converted into more useful and valuable products that can help regulate the local economy, create more jobs, etc.

1. Paper

Newspapers, old documents, and junk mail, all are one of the easiest and useful materials to recycle. By recycling newspapers you can actually help save around 60% of the energy required to make fresh newsprint. Magazines especially those which have highly glossy variety can be recycled and converted into coupon flyers and advertisements. According to the EPA,  paper comprises around one-third of all municipal waste in the U.S.

2. Cardboard

Recycling just one ton of cardboard can save over 9 cubic yards of landfill space and around 24 percent of the total energy required to make new cardboard. The thin cardboard used for shoeboxes, product boxes, and other similar everyday-use containers is also recyclable.

4. Aluminum cans

Aluminum can retain its properties indefinitely which makes aluminum-based products excellent to recycle. Not only does recycling aluminum lower the dependency on mining operations which helps preserve the environment and minimize the drastic environmental effects that mining activities have on the environment. Metal cans are quite commonly used for packing canned products such as vegetables, soups, and coffee. You never know, your old soda can may be reincarnated into a wonderful can containing your favorite IPA.

5. Glass containers

The glass containers that are used in food and beverage packaging are mostly 100 percent recyclable. Glass recycling has met many challenges over the years because it can be dangerous to handle. Collect your glass containers and look for a local drop-off location that accepts glass. Many glass containers are reusable and come in handy around the house for storing food and other items.

6. Cell phones

Cell phones are one of those things that are actually very valuable to recycle but most people throw them away without giving it a second thought. Every day we put at least 350,000 phones to waste, despite the fact that cell phones are widely accepted for recycling at most local mobile phone stores. Electronic retailers as well are normally more than happy to accept used phones. In some countries fundraisers allow you to receive cash, gift cards, etc for recycling. All of this is because cell phones are made of some very precious metals and circuitry that experts can disassemble and use for manufacturing new phones.

Many other products can be recycled too. Check with your local trash and recycling program to see what is and isn’t accepted.

Now that we have discussed recycling in detail, let's talk about composting and biodegradable products.

Often people confuse these two and mistake them to be the same thing. This is however not true. While compostable and biodegradable are often used interchangeably, they do not possess the same meaning. So to make the differences between these two different concepts more evident, I will describe both of them together. This will help you get a clear picture of both of them.

Compostability refers to the ability of a product to break down into carbon dioxide, water, inorganic compounds, and biomass in small pieces in approximately 90 days. In composting millions of tiny microbes consume the waste material that has been composted and transforms that organic material into compost which can then be used to improve soil health and reduce dependency on chemical fertilizers. The thing about this process is that it does not leave behind any toxic residues since the compost consists of organic items like food leftovers.

On the other hand, the feature of being biodegradable refers to the ability of a product to break down without oxygen and turn into carbon dioxide, water and biomass. The time duration, in this case, is generally much longer than composting and varies from product to product.

Another primary difference between compostable and biodegradable is that compostable products require a specific environment to effectively break down for example they require moisture, soil, air, and in some cases nitrogen and carbon-rich materials to feed the microorganism, whereas the procedures involving the breakdown of biodegradable products are natural and self-sustained.

Mentioned below is a list of items that should be composted. Composting is the most effective way of waste management for them and other processes like recycling may not bring in the same benefits.

●       Leftover fruits and vegetables

●       Eggshells

●       Coffee grounds and filters

●       Nutshells

●       Yard trimmings

●       Grass clippings

●       Houseplants

●       Hay and straw

●       Leaves

●       Sawdust

●       Wood chips

●       Cotton and Wool Rugs

●       Hair and fur

If you ever see these products lying around, you should definitely consider using composting as a waste management method. Many municipalities are offering composting services where you can fill a bin of compostable items and they will pick it up on a scheduled day. You might even be lucky enough to visit their site and take home fresh nutrient-rich compost for your yard or garden at no additional charge.

Whenever possible you should recycle or compost. Just because something is biodegradable doesn’t mean it won’t cause harm to the environment. It only means it will eventually breakdown down back into the environment in a certain period of time. Some items can take hundreds or thousands of years, and when they do “biodegrade” they could create additional methane gasses only adding to the problem of climate change.

Recycling:

There are numerous benefits of recycling but the best thing is that it protects the ecosystem, human health, wildlife, and the environment. Astonishingly, the products produced from recycling materials require minimal energy in comparison to making them from raw materials. Recycling also plays a pivotal role in reducing climate-changing carbon emissions. Not only this, but it also helps in diminishing landfill waste. Waste collection and disposal are highly pricey but recycling doesn't require hefty costs. Zillions of jobs are created via recycling, furthermore, it conserves natural resources and keeps waste out of the environment.

Composting:

Just like recycling, composting also has several benefits. It can help enrich the soil by retaining its moisture and acting as a powerful barrier against plant diseases and pests. It also encourages the production of beneficial bacteria and fungi that can break down organic matter and make hummus which acts as a rich nutrient for the soil and makes it naturally fertile.  Moreover, it can help you save money on fertilizer expenditure by reducing dependency on chemical fertilizers which again is beneficial for the environment as well since chemical fertilizers may drain into nearby lakes and disturb marine life and also result in the emission of toxic gases.

All in all, composting serves as a valuable method of sustainable waste management that will help you lower your carbon footprint and will bring in additional benefits for you as well.

Biodegradable:

Buying products that are biodegradable is a good alternative to buying products that aren’t biodegradable. Many items should either be recycled or composted before sending to the landfill. New technology has introduced new plastics that are made of biodegradable materials which may help reduce the need for regular plastics that never break down and continue to pollute the environment. Remember, not all items should be sent to the landfill just because they are biodegradable, especially if there are alternative methods of handling them. For example, food and paper items could lead to the creation of greenhouse gases, which is one of the issues we are fighting against.

Conclusion:

We really hope that this article helped you understand the difference between recycling, composting, and biodegradable and that it helped you recognize the unique roles that they play in promoting sustainable waste management. We also hope that it has served as a guide when it comes to differentiating which of the three methods of waste disposal are most sustainable for the products you wish to discard.

It is very important to educate yourself regarding the differences between these three waste management methods, especially today with the world being in a global environmental crisis. The most effective way to manage our waste is to not create it in the first place. The act of reducing and reusing means consuming more responsibly and putting fewer materials in our trash, recycling, and compost carts, allowing us to save precious resources.