LBGA Online School · Track 1: Citizen Science & Action Module 1.2 · Sorting
Module 1.2 · The Smartphone Sorting Guide

Read the label, not the myth

The most powerful recycling tool on Earth is the smartphone in your pocket. Standing in front of a bin, you can decode what a package really is — and stop guessing. But first you have to unlearn the biggest myth in recycling.

1 lesson1 knowledge checkField project
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Myth
"If it has the chasing-arrows triangle with a number, it gets recycled."
Truth
That number (1–7) is a resin identification code — it tells you what the plastic is made of, not that your local program accepts it. It's a materials label, not a recycling promise.
What the number actually means
#1 PET — clear drink bottles Widely accepted
#2 HDPE — milk jugs, detergent bottles Widely accepted
#3–7 PVC, LDPE, PP, PS, other Varies locally
Empty & rinse
A dirty container can contaminate a whole batch. Empty it, give it a quick rinse.
Check the local list
Your municipality publishes exactly what it takes. That list — not the triangle — is the real answer.
When in doubt, leave it out
"Wish-cycling" one wrong item can send a whole load to landfill. Unsure? Keep it out of recycling.
Knowledge check · Smart sorting
LBGA · Academy
Smart Sorting in the Real World
Citizen Science & Action · 1.2
Question 1 of 3
You finish a clear plastic drink bottle marked with a "1" (PET) inside the chasing-arrows symbol. What is usually the best move?
Ongoing field project
The Sort Audit
Pull up your city's official accepted-materials list on your phone. Line up 10 items from your recycling bin and check each one against the list. Count how many you got wrong out of habit — that number is your personal contamination rate.
① Open the local list② Check 10 items③ Find your contamination rate