Experts have a great idea to make recycling even more confusing

The experts want to make recycling even more confusing!

A recent Axios article brought what the writer and editors obviously thought was good news: Soon there would be QR codes to assist us with the "hyper-local" rules of recycling. 

When I read it, I nearly spit out my coffee, which made my next decision even more difficult: Can you recycle coffee if it includes spit?

The article said soon we will be able to use QR codes – those barcodes that an app can read to take you to a specific website – to determine how to determine whether you can recycle your yogurt container, cardboard box or insulation packaging. And where to put it.

Once you scan the code on the package, it will interact with the ZIP code you enter to tell you what type of recycling (or not) it is and in which bin you should put it.

Simple, right?

Nope. It sounds unnecessarily complicated and confusing.

I'm supposed to scan each item and see whether it goes in the Dumpster (where I live), the green recycling bin, the cardboard bin, or in one of the myriad other recycling options?

Each item. Individually.

If I sound grumpy, it's because recycling has become such guesswork. What goes to the landfill? What's recyclable and if so, what type of recycling is it? It keeps getting more confusing and just when you think you have it figured out ("OK, so pizza boxes can go with green recycling if there's no pizza left on them. But if there's any grease, it goes with the cardboard"), the rules change.

Pretty soon it becomes easier to just put stuff in the regular garbage, which defeats the purpose.

Most of us care about recycling, which is good. We need less garbage. We need to reuse as much as we can. But recycling rules are splitting into those who understand the rules and those who don't.

The experts are baffled and angry when we're confused about where to put our used Starbucks cups (Does it matter if there's coffee left? Do the lid and cup go in different places?). They're flabbergasted if we put plastic bags in the blue recycling bin because they have the recycling symbol. Don't we know better?

It feels like the recycling rules are constantly changing. Furthermore, what's recyclable in Fairfield might go in a different bin in Rio Vista.

According to the Axios article, the Recycling Partnership–a nonprofit focused on this issue–says 60% of us are confused by recycling rules. My guess is that the remaining 40% just throw everything in the trash, eliminating "confusion."

But now the advocates say there's a solution that will fix everything. We can have different rules in different places and there will be no problems. Put QR codes on everything. Then people will pull out their phones, scan the QR code and know what to do.

Except . . .

Most of us will struggle to remember how to use the QR code app. Then we'll forget that we're supposed to scan the code off the packaging, even if we can find it. Then we'll forget our ZIP code. Then we won't know which of the bins is "compost" and which is "recycle."

Why don't we just adopt universal recycling rules?

Why don't we stop having super-local recycling rules that change every three months?

Why don't we just have two or three bins, marked clearly.

Too easy? Well, this part is simple: if you're reading this in a physical newspaper, you can probably compost it.

You can recycle a plastic bag if it came in that.

Unless the bag is wet.

But if you're reading it online, your electronics must be recycled as e-waste.

Unless, of course, the rules are different where you live.

Or the rules have already changed.

Boy, that QR code will fix everything!

Reach Brad Stanhope at bradstanhope@outlook.com.