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We may think that we help the environment by recycling, but we may inadvertently do more harm than good.

In fact, our good intentions of recycling may exacerbate the waste problem rather than solve it, because the desire to recycle behavior slowly limits the creation of a circular economy.

Wishcycling is a kind but unfounded belief that something is recyclable when it is not.

Last year, it was submitted to the Collins English Dictionary as a word and was defined as: "The practice of putting something in a recycling bin but not sure if it is actually recyclable."

Our desire for small bicycles complicates the sorting process at the center and pollutes the recycling system.

We may think that we are doing a good job of recycling, but rich countries export an amazing amount of recyclable waste to developing countries every year. Currently, exporting waste is cheaper than developing local recycling infrastructure.

It seems that many of us recyclers just cross their fingers and hope for the best results. A study by the Pew Research Center in Washington found that 59% of Americans believe that "most types of items" can be recycled and their various recyclable items are also effectively sorted. Unfortunately, this is not always the case.

However, recycling the right materials can accelerate the circular economy by upgrading recycling. Researchers at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, recently revealed ways to use waste plastics to produce high-value products, such as carbon nanotubes (used to design lightweight aerospace parts) and clean liquid fuels. The process can also be upgraded to recycle agricultural and organic waste.

According to Recycle Nation, there are some items that are usually hoped to be recycled and should never appear in your recycling bin:

To avoid wishing to bike, recycling company RoadRunner recommends the following "notes":

The World Economic Forum is harnessing the potential of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technology, innovation and smart policies to help the circular economy become a reality. Through a global partnership called Scale360°, governments, businesses, civil society and entrepreneurs around the world aim to accelerate the adoption of 4IR solutions to promote a circular economy in the electronics, fashion, food and plastic sectors.

The partnership builds on the work of the forum report "Using the Fourth Industrial Revolution to Promote a Circular Economy", which studies the 4IR technology used today and how we can better manage our resources in the future.

The World Economic Forum has formulated a series of measures to promote recycling. 1. Scale360° Playbook aims to build a lasting ecosystem for the circular economy and help solutions expand.

Its unique center-based approach-launched in September of this year-aims to prioritize circular innovation while fostering a community that allows innovators from all over the world to share ideas and solutions. Emerging innovators from all over the world can connect ideas and solutions and collaborate through the forum's open innovation platform UpLink.

Learn how the Scale360° Playbook promotes circular innovation in the community.

2. The new Cyclic Automotive Initiative (CCI) embodies the ambitions of the more recycling automotive industry. It represents an alliance of more than 60 car manufacturers, suppliers, research institutions, non-governmental organizations and international organizations dedicated to achieving this near-term goal.

CCI recently released a series of new circular "roadmaps" developed in strategic cooperation with the World Economic Forum, World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), McKinsey & Company, and Accenture. These reports explain the details of this new cycle transition. Connect to learn more →

3. The World Economic Forum’s Accelerated Sustainable Production Digital Traceability Initiative brings together manufacturers, suppliers, consumers, and regulators to jointly develop solutions and provide supporting ecosystems to improve supply chain visibility, and Accelerate sustainability and circulation in manufacturing and production sectors. Connect to learn more →

Kayleigh Bateman, senior writer, formative content

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and have nothing to do with the World Economic Forum.

The cube is soft to the touch, the color changes with temperature, and is made of more than 90% water.

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