Why That Triangle Arrow Recycling Symbol is a Piece of Garbage

The Society of the Plastics Industry developed a resin identification code (that triangle shape with the arrows chasing each other) in 1988 as a way to get us to recycle, but most people do not know that the mark itself is pretty much meaningless. If you’re washing and recycling takeout containers or other plastics that have the “recycler’s bermuda triangle” on them, you might just be acting a fool.

Luckily, design professor KT Meaney and her students have come up with some way better, less retarded graphic solutions to show people whether or not what they are buying can be recycled. Remember, we vote with our cash money so boycotting manufacturers and food distributors who use styrofoam and non-recyclable plastics is the best way to tell them that they need to check themselves before they wreck themselves.

Meat section postcard (Design: David Mitchell)

Smart meat-section trompe l’oeil postcard alerts consumers that styrofoam packaging sucks, without discrediting the delicious product inside of it.

Coupon broadsheet (Design: Britt Cobb)

This supersmart flyer organizes weekly specials into those which have recyclable containers and those that don’t.

why is this a site?

swyyne has always been an experiment for me. with all of the other super eco sites out there, i've been feeling like i want to contribute something just a bit different. so for now, here are my random musings.