Confusing Recyclables

Wendy Angel

Residents in yokohama, japan, are a little confused about their trash. After the government created 10 categories of recyclables, some of the town's 3.5 million residents have opted to discard trash in city parks and commercial bins, rather than at home where extreme levels of trash sorting are required. The new sorting rules say, among other things, that if you are discarding just one sock, it fits into the “burnable” category, but a pair of socks goes into “used cloth” category — but only if the socks are not torn and the left and right sock match. Also, lipstick goes into burnables, but the tube itself goes into small metals or plastics after the contents have been used. If residents need a 27-page booklet to help them sort recyclables, do you think it's gotten too complicated?

Source: NY Times