Yes, you recycle. But until you start reducing, you're still killing the planet

The blue bin may be preferable to the trash can, but recycling still has a waste footprint - and it requires someone on the other side of the equation to use what you toss. A better goal is simply to have less stuff

I talk a lot about reduction. Reducing the number of toys you have, the quantity of cleaning supplies you buy, even the amount of meat you eat. My constant focus on reduction over recycling, upcycling or disposing of waste responsibly is a deliberate one. Put simply, recycling isn't enough.

Recycling is good, and I'm not here to contradict that. When the options are to either toss a plastic bottle into the recycling bin or into the trash can, you'll see me shaking my pom-poms for the blue bin. But I'm afraid the black-and-white thinking ends there. Recycling is a complicated business, and not always a pleasant one to boot.