You put it in the bin and hope
Wishful recycling, and no idea whether it works.
Courses
Start with three things you can do today
How does recycling actually work
Know what happens after the bin, and recycle like it matters.
Check your local collection program for the exact item and preparation it accepts. A plastic resin code identifies material; it does not promise that the item belongs in your recycling bin. Collection, sorting and a usable end market are separate parts of the process.
Want new features first?
A starting goal
I want to know what actually happens to what I recycle and what belongs in which bin. Explain how recycling works, where it breaks down, and how to do it well without wishful thinking.
Change any word so it fits your situation. The course is built from what you type and a few setup questions.
Start today
Three things you can do before the course exists.
Useful on their own. The course is for when you want the whole skill, not just the first move.
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Classify one item precisely
Original example: you have an empty plastic food tub marked with a resin number. Record the material, shape and remaining contents. "Plastic" alone may be too broad for a local acceptance list, and the number does not settle whether your program collects this item.
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Compare against the actual local rule
Look for the municipal or collector's current instruction for that kind of tub. If accepted, follow its directions on food residue, lids and whether items should be loose. EPA recommends checking local acceptance and removing food residue from accepted containers. Do not substitute a rule from another city.
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Choose a verified destination
If the item is excluded, inspect a named local alternative or the stated disposal route. Do not add it to recycling merely because the symbol looks familiar. Batteries and hazardous items need their own appropriate route. A reusable alternative also needs enough actual use to justify a broader environmental comparison.
Sources: EPA: common recyclables, resin codes and local acceptance. Practical examples are starting points, not promised results.
Free to read first
Guides on the same skill.
- Best for
- Environment & climate
- Prerequisites
- None. Bring the situation you have.
- Course length
- 7 to 30 lessons
- Pace
- Yours. One lesson at a time, as often as you like.
- Format
- Read it, or play the audio
- Access
- Available on the App Store and Google Play, with an optional early testing list
Before the course is built
Setup asks about your situation first.
Lesson 1 opens on the moment you describe, and the examples use your role. For this request, expect questions like these.
- What do you recycle now, and what are you unsure about?
- Does your area collect mixed recycling or separated streams?
- Do you want to recycle better, waste less, or both?
Right for now
If any of this sounds familiar, start here.
You are confused by plastics
Numbers, symbols and different rules everywhere.
You want to reduce waste properly
Not just sort it better.
Course arc
Where the course goes, in order.
Cadence writes the lessons for you, so the exact path follows your answers. This is the ground a course built from this sentence covers.
01 / 06After the bin
Collection, sorting and what is actually sold.
Paper, glass and metal
The materials that work, and why.
Plastics
Distinguish material type, product form, local acceptance and actual processing.
Contamination
Food, bags and wishful items.
Reduce and reuse
Why they come first in the hierarchy.
Your local rules
How to find them and why they differ.
What changes
What you will be able to do, and what you will stop believing.
You will be able to
Know what happens next
Sorting plants, markets and where materials go.
Understand each material
Paper, glass, metal and the plastics problem.
Sort using local rules
Identify accepted items and follow the stated preparation and collection instructions.
Reduce first
The hierarchy, and the habits that cut waste at source.
Ideas this course corrects
A resin code guarantees local recycling
It identifies a material category. Local collection and processing rules still determine acceptance.
One preparation rule covers every material and place
Check the actual item and local instructions. Requirements can differ across collection systems.
Course questions
What to know before you start.
How does recycling actually work: what can I do today?
Classify one item precisely. Original example: you have an empty plastic food tub marked with a resin number. Record the material, shape and remaining contents. "Plastic" alone may be too broad for a local acceptance list, and the number does not settle whether your program collects this item. Compare against the actual local rule. Look for the municipal or collector's current instruction for that kind of tub. If accepted, follow its directions on food residue, lids and whether items should be loose. EPA recommends checking local acceptance and removing food residue from accepted containers. Do not substitute a rule from another city. Choose a verified destination. If the item is excluded, inspect a named local alternative or the stated disposal route. Do not add it to recycling merely because the symbol looks familiar. Batteries and hazardous items need their own appropriate route. A reusable alternative also needs enough actual use to justify a broader environmental comparison.
Is this a fixed course?
No. Cadence builds the course when you type the sentence and answer a few setup questions, so the lessons follow your situation. This page describes what a course built from this request covers. You see the whole path before Lesson 1.
Who is this course for?
Check your local collection program for the exact item and preparation it accepts. A plastic resin code identifies material; it does not promise that the item belongs in your recycling bin. Collection, sorting and a usable end market are separate parts of the process. It sits under Environment & climate in the Ideas & discovery part of the library.
Do I need any prior experience?
No. Setup asks what you already know and where you want to use it, and the course starts from there. Bring a real situation if you have one; the examples are built around it.
How long does it take?
Most courses run 7 to 30 lessons. The course length is sized to what you asked for. You set the pace: one lesson at a time, as often as you like. Lessons can be read or played as audio.
Does this course award a certificate or degree?
No. Cadence is for practical self-learning and does not award accredited degrees or professional certification.
Start today
Type it, answer a few questions, open Lesson 1.
A starting goal
I want to know what actually happens to what I recycle and what belongs in which bin. Explain how recycling works, where it breaks down, and how to do it well without wishful thinking.
Want new features first?