Although sometimes labeled with a recycling symbol, or even the numbers “1” and “2”, black plastic is generally not recycled in New York State. Despite this, 63% of Americans believe that black plastic is recyclable.
Here’s why it’s not recyclable:
1. Black plastics blend in with conveyor belts in single stream recycling centers, and therefore they do not reflect light which means they cannot be identified and sorted by the optical scanners used at recycling facilities.
2. There is currently no market for recycled black plastic. It’s an undesirable feedstock for manufacturers because black plastic, once chipped or flaked into pellets, cannot be used to make packaging of any other color, which decreases its value in the recycling marketplace.
Not only is black plastic tricky to recycle but it can also be a threat to our health. A great deal of black plastic is manufactured using electronic waste or e-waste. E-waste often contains toxic elements such as bromine, chromium, and lead. This can be troubling for humans especially if e-waste is being recycled into items that we come into close contact with, such as single-use food packaging, like to-go containers and coffee cup lids.
The next time you come across black plastic, consider how you can avoid it.