The myth about the chasing arrows
First the bad news. Just because something has the recycling symbol, does not mean it can be recycled.
We have all seen them, the chasing arrows. 
The history
The Chasing Arrows symbol was invented in the early 1970s by Gary Anderson, a college student at the University of Southern California. His design of the Universal Recycling Symbol won a contest on the eve of the first Earth Day. It was intended to demonstrate the cyclical nature of resource use and encourage recycling practices.
Where it Is misleading
The symbol works well for things like paper, glass, cardboard, aluminum. For plastic, however, it's a different story. There is no guarantee that a product is made from recycled plastic or can be recycled.
Three Myths Behind the Chasing Arrows1:
- It does not mean that is made from recycled plastic.
- It does not mean it will get recycled if it is dropped in your recycle bin.
- It is an unregulated symbol anyone can use.
The Facts behind it
For plastics, the number inside the chasing arrows identifies which type of plastic resin is used in the product and helps determine how to manage it. Today's products have more and more complex plastic profiles and recycling them has become more confusing. Have you ever looked at the sign and wondered, if it goes into the recycling bin or not?
Source: iSustain
What can you do?
Educate yourself! The image below was provided by Pacific Northwest/BC Waste Management, serving our area.
Graphic provided by Waste Management Northwest
Still Confused about plastics? You are not alone.
What plastics are recyclable actually depends on your local community.
In general, plastics with 1's and 2's are widely accepted for recycling.
1 - PETE or polyethylene terephthalate - these are mainly soft drink bottles, mineral water and fruit juice containers and cooking oil containers.
2 - HDPE or high-density polyethylene - used in milk jugs, containers for cleaning agents, laundry detergents, bleaching agents, shampoo bottles, washing and shower soap containers.
How2Recycle3 - A new symbol, a new hope
The new How2Recycle symbol is becoming more widely used and shows more accurately what can be recycled.
Take action
Our buying habits have a big impact on manufacturers packing choices.
While it might seem a hassle, buying in bulk has huge benefits to reduce waste and bulk containers are often easier to recycle. Consider replacing squeezable pouches, they are very difficult to recycle. Instead, get a larger container and fill smaller amounts in reusable containers (see example below).
If that's really not an option for you, consider participating in recycling programs. Terracycle2 is one example. You can collect and return all brands of squeezable snack pouches and caps for free.
1 The Truth Behind the Chasing Arrows
2 GoGo squeeZ® Free Recycling Program | TerraCycle · TerraCycle
