The iconic chasing-arrows recycling symbol, invented 20 years earlier, was everywhere in the early 1990s. Its tight spiral of folded arrows seemed to promise that discarded glass bottles and ...

A symbol designating aluminum beverage cans as recyclable was understood by 95 percent of respondents, while a similar one for glass bottles and jars met with a lower 86 percent level of recognition.

As California tightens its standards for products and packaging deemed recyclable, companies must prepare for compliance.

The recycling symbol isn’t copyrighted, which means any plastic-producing company can slap it on their products, even if they aren’t recyclable. That piece of paper or plastic that we supposed ...