Technologies

Are You Recycling Your Plastics the Wrong Way? Here’s How to Check

Earth Day is nearly here. Make sure you’re recycling your plastics the right way.

Earth Day is coming up on Monday, April 22, and if you’re looking for ways to start helping the environment, recycling your plastics is a great start. Note that simply tossing any and all of your plastics into the recycling bin isn’t what you should do. Instead, you need to know which plastics are recyclable and which should be tossed in the trash. But once you’ve learned these important details, you’ll be helping to reduce waste.

Plastic that isn’t recycled is either put in landfills, incinerated or finds its way into the oceans. Incinerating plastics produces carbon dioxide, which is responsible for the total energy imbalance causing the Earth’s temperature to rise, according to NOAA Climate.gov. If placed in a landfill, plastic can take anywhere from five to 600 years to decompose, depending on what type it is. The average time it takes a plastic bottle to decompose is 450 years.

Here’s what the experts have to say about recycling plastics. For more information, here’s which takeout containers are recyclable.

How to recycle plastic

Recycling plastic is more difficult than you think. You need to rinse out any food and liquids (other than water) from the containers before you can put them in the bin. If the plastic isn’t clean, a recycling center employee told CNET, it could contaminate an entire load of plastics, causing the recycling center to send the entire batch to a landfill.

When recycling plastic bottles, check to see if they say «crush to conserve» on the label. If so, remove the lid and crush the bottle by twisting from the top and pressing it down. After it’s crushed, place the lid back on the bottle so it can also be recycled.

Know which plastics are recyclable

All plastics are not equal. In fact, many people toss all their plastics in the recycling bin without knowing if it’s recyclable or not. If it’s not an accepted plastic at the recycling center, the employees will toss it in the trash.

So how do you know which plastics are accepted? Contact your local recycling company to see if they accept them. Many recycling companies have additional information on their website for items that can and cannot be recycled. If your local disposal company provides your recycling bin, it may list the information on the bin’s outside.

Plastic containers will typically have numbers on the bottom that denote which kind of plastic it is. For example, #1 and #2 plastics are almost always recyclable, while #6 plastics aren’t always accepted. Also, if the plastic says «compostable,» then it must be composted and not recycled.

What else can I do?

The first step to preventing plastic waste is to limit your use of non-reusable plastics, like plastic bottles. Instead, opt for glass or hard plastic bottles that you can refill and use daily. Here are other ways to help.

Use reusable straws instead of plastic straws.
Avoid using plastic utensils unless they can be washed and reused.
Recycle plastic bags, see if your local grocery store or recycling center will take them.
Use cloth shopping bags.
Stop wasting Solo cups and choose glass or reusable plastic cups instead.
Reuse plastic items. Tobias Haider, a research associate at PlastX, told CNET in 2022 that «plastic products would not be a problem if we reused them.»
Remember that plastic foam isn’t recyclable and that includes egg cartons, packaging and peanuts. If you have quite a bit of plastic foam lying around your house, contact schools in your area to see if they can use it for projects.

Technologies

Today’s Wordle Hints, Answer and Help for Nov. 26, #1621

Here are hints and the answer for today’s Wordle for Nov. 26, No. 1,621.

Looking for the most recent Wordle answer? Click here for today’s Wordle hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Wordle puzzle is a little tricky. It’s an unusual word with rarely guessed letters. If you need a new starter word, check out our list of which letters show up the most in English words. If you need hints and the answer, read on.

Today’s Wordle hints

Before we show you today’s Wordle answer, we’ll give you some hints. If you don’t want a spoiler, look away now.

Wordle hint No. 1: Repeats

Today’s Wordle answer has no repeated letters.

Wordle hint No. 2: Vowels

Today’s Wordle answer has two vowels.

Wordle hint No. 3: First letter

Today’s Wordle answer begins with H.

Wordle hint No. 4: Last letter

Today’s Wordle answer ends with L.

Wordle hint No. 5: Meaning

Today’s Wordle answer can refer to an unpleasant, often dirty small home.

TODAY’S WORDLE ANSWER

Today’s Wordle answer is HOVEL.

Yesterday’s Wordle answer

Yesterday’s Wordle answer, Nov. 25, No. 1620 was PLEAD.

Recent Wordle answers

Nov. 21, No. 1616: VOWEL

Nov. 22, No. 1617: THICK

Nov. 23, No. 1618: BUNNY

Nov. 24, No. 1619: DOUGH

Technologies

This Early Black Friday Deal Takes $149 Off Apple’s AirPods Max, an All-Time Low

Don’t miss your chance to bag Apple’s premium wireless headphones for just $400.

It’s never a bad time to buy a new pair of AirPods Max, especially if you’re in the Apple ecosystem. But some times are absolute no-brainers, like a Black Friday deal. Order today, and you’ll get your choice of color for an all-time low price of just $400 at Amazon.

You don’t need to enter any discount codes or clip any coupons, but but be warned: This Black Friday sale is unlikely to last. For that reason alone, I suggest placing your AirPods Max order soon before it’s too late.

The features on these Apple headphones are essentially identical to the previous-gen AirPods Max model, albeit with a USB-C port instead of the previous Lightning port. The switch means the same charging cable can be used with all of the latest Apple hardware, including iPads, Macs, iPhones and their accessories.

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You can expect strong active noise cancellation performance as well as instant device pairing and switching, thanks to the Apple H1 chip. Support for personalized spatial audio and the excellent transparency mode is also included. Remember you can also choose your color when ordering the AirPods Max. I’m a big fan of the orange, but you do you.

HEADPHONE DEALS OF THE WEEK

Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones (Black):

$248 (save $152)
Apple AirPods Max ANC Wireless Headphones (USB-C Charging, Midnight):

$480 (save $70)
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones:

$298 (save $131)
Bose QuietComfort Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones:

$170 (save $180)
Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless ANC Over-Ear Headphones (Black):

$250 (save $200)

Deals are selected by the CNET Group commerce team, and may be unrelated to this article.

Why this deal matters

Discounts on Apple products are hard to come by, let alone a discount this big. If you’re interested in the AirPods Max headphones, it’s better to act quickly than to risk missing out.

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Technologies

Your Next Apple Watch Has Truly Never Been More Affordable, Thanks to This Early Black Friday Deal

It’s definitely the time to pick up a new Apple Watch while this Black Friday price lasts.

The Apple Watch Series 11 is the latest in Apple’s long-running line of smartwatches, making it the go-to option for many. But it definitely isn’t the bargain option, something that makes this Black Friday deal all the more impressive. Order from Amazon today, and you’ll get a 42mm Apple Watch Series 11 for a new-low price of just $340.

That deal saves you $59 off the usual $399 asking price, and there are multiple colors and band combinations to choose from. Just make sure to do that soon because we don’t expect this deal to stick around for long.

The Apple Watch Series 11 iterates on the previous models while retaining all of the features that made them so popular. There’s an always-on display and water resistance, perfect for use in the pool. And because it’s full of sensors, you can track and monitor everything from your latest workout to your sleeping patterns.

Battery life is often a problem for smartwatches, but Apple has worked on making sure the Apple Watch Series 11 lasts longer between charges. It can now run for up to 24 hours before it needs topping up, and a 15-minute charge will add an extra eight hours of battery when you need it.

Remember, this is for the 42mm model in the aluminum finish in your choice of color. Need the larger 46mm Apple Watch Series 11? Amazon has you covered. You can grab your new wearable for just $370 instead of the usual $429 right now, too.

SMARTWATCH DEALS OF THE WEEK

Apple Watch Series 10 (GPS, 46mm, Ink Sports Loop):

$359 (save $70)
Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 (40mm, Bluetooth, Graphite Band):

$330 (save $20)
Amazfit Balance GPS Smartwatch (Black):

$140 (save $60)
Google Pixel Watch 3 (41mm, Wi-Fi, Matte Black, Obsidian Band):

$202 (save $49)
Amazfit Active 42mm Smartwatch With 14 Day Battery Life (Black):

$75 (save $35)

Deals are selected by the CNET Group commerce team, and may be unrelated to this article.

Why this deal matters

A smartwatch can make a world of difference, whether you’re looking to get fit or stay that way. But it can also be useful for everyone else as well, thanks to an App Store full of apps. This is your chance to get the best Apple Watch yet at a price we’ve never before seen — just remember: It’s unlikely to hang around for long.