Have you ever looked at the bottom of a plastic item and tried to decipher what the plastic recycling numbers mean? You’re not alone. Recycling is confusing and many local councils and governments report large amounts of wish-cycling. That’s when people put items in their recycling collection that aren’t actually recyclable at that location. While wish-cycling is usually well-intentioned, it can interrupt the recycling process and contaminate other recyclable materials.

Recycling is a very location-dependent activity so it’s difficult to say definitively whether you can or cannot recycle something. The best way to find out is to check your local government or council website where you’ll most likely find a list of the types of materials that are accepted in curbside recycling. There also may be other information about locations of specialist recycling of things like appliances, electronics, clothing and other plastic types.