TED-Ed: Does recycling your plastic actually work? | Shannon Odell

If you've ever looked at the bottom of a disposable bottle or cup, you've probably noticed a recycling symbol. Seeing this, many people assume the item should be put in a recycling bin. Yet many plastics are incapable of being recycled at most centers. In fact, only 9% is recycled each year. So why are so few plastics recycled? And what do these symbols actually mean? Shannon Odell investigates. [Directed Yuval Haker, Alon Sivan, narrated by Addison Anderson, music by Dana Roth].