According to the EPA, "A circular economy keeps materials and products in circulation for as long possible."

Recycled.

“Post-Consumer waste” refers to material that was recycled after humans used it. All else equal, this is usually preferable to “pre-consumer waste” or “post-industrial waste.”

Recycling- sometimes referred to as downcycling- breaks down or chemically alters materials to be transformed into something new. Over time, this may result in lower quality and harder to recycle items. Upcycling repurposes an existing item without changing its structure. For example, a teapot can be converted into a plant pot just by adding dirt. 

Resin codes show the type of plastic an item is made of. It assists with sorting at the recycling plant. To avoid confusion with the recycling symbol, an updated variation uses solid triangles instead of arrows.

The Resin Code is ordered by general ease of recycling. In the past, recyclers taught residents to recycle only 1 and 2. Now, many facilities can recycle other plastics yet face logistical barriers. A list of items is usually shared with consumers instead of numbers.

Recycle Brevard describes the resin codes on their blog.

The mobius loop/chasing arrows symbol is public domain. Any company may add it to their product. Various agencies and governments have tried to standardize its use, but there are no standard meanings in the United States or Florida.

Typically, a company will include this to show the packaging is recyclable, partially recycled, or fully recycled. When in doubt, check with the company.

How2Recycle aims to provide standardized and clear disposal information based on national legislation. Companies that sign up as members of How2Recycle submit to a recyclability assessment of their packaging. 

This logo is more reliable than others at determining what to do with waste, but it is always best to check with your local recycler.

The Green Dot is a label indicating the company supports recovery and recycling of packaging. It does not refer to the particular packaging it appears on, just that the company generally supports the act. For example, the company may donate profits to advance recycling solutions.

Primarily a European symbol, it was discontinued in the U.S in January 2024.

Sometimes. When in doubt, check with your locality.

- Almost everything is recyclable, but cost and effort may deter it

- Some recyclable products can only be effectively recycled a few times, whereas others can be recycled many times

- Just because something can be recycled is no guarantee it will be. Further, there will always be exceptions locally

- Alternate streams available for otherwise “hard-to-recycle waste." Check the resources to find information.

Do your recyclables really get recycled or do they end up in a Brevard landfill? |  Florida Today 

- Normally yes!

- Uses less energy and water and resources compared to creating virgin products

     - Recycled aluminum uses 90% less energy than virigin 

- Problem in every recycling operation

- Occurs when consumers bin items not intended for recycling

- It can potentially cause the entire batch of items, accepted or not, to be thrown out

- Double check with the recycling collection if an item is accepted

- Unless said otherwise or organic material, assume you should clean and dry the item (if possible)

Compostable and biodegradable materials both biodegrade. Biodegrade refers to materials that break down into their original components (carbon dioxide, biomass, and water).

Compostable products are organic matter that biodegrade and disintegrate within 90 days and leave no residue. Compostable is a regulated term- companies must meet ASTM standards. Compostable materials break down under controlled conditions, generally an industrial composter. 

Biodegradable is any material that biodegrades. It can take any amount of time (e.g., 90 days or decades). Biodegradable materials can still leave residue.

“Oxodegradable” refers to plastics with additives to help it break down faster. 

“Photogradable” refers to plastics that react with sunlight to break down faster.

Landfills

municipal solid waste landfill

industrial waste landfill

hazardous waste landfill

green waste landfill

open dumpsites

underground water pollution

air pollution due to suspension of particles, (c) odor pollution from the deposition of municipal solid waste (MSW), and (d) even marine pollution from any potential run-of

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9399006/

Incinerators

Recycling Plans