Five common recycling MYTHS:
1. Electronics can be put in the recycling bin .....No. Lithium ion batteries in smartphones and other electronics can explode and catch on fire. You CAN recycle electronics, but they must go to a special facility that can handle them.
2. Plastic bags are recyclable. Sort of, but ultimately it comes down to the fact that recycling facilities just don't want them because they're difficult to separate from other recyclables, and can clog up the equipment. That's only for traditional plastic shopping bags. Other types of plastic bags like sandwich bags and one gallon freezer bags CAN be recycled, as long as you snip the zipper off first.
3. Separating trash from recyclables isn't important. Just like with plastic bags, garbage can also clog up the recycling equipment, so YES VERY IMPORTANT to separate trash and recyclables.
4. An item can only be recycled once. Plastic, maybe, but glass and metals like aluminum cans can be recycled over and over.
5. Stuff you recycle must be in good condition. Most recyclables get melted or compressed into pellets at the recycling center anyway, so it's fine.
The one exception is broken glass, but only because it can be dangerous for the people who collect your recyclables.