CAN I RECYCLE THIS? By Jennie Romer will be if interest to students, particularly its guidance on how to reduce single-use plastics. Romer is a lawyer and environmental activist whose ultimate goal is to "adopt sensible and effective policies to reduce single-use plastic and other packaging, and hold producers responsible for making better packaging and paying for the cost of recycling and cleanup." The first part of her book defines recycling and other terms, while the larger, second part explains what happens to each of over sixty items when they are placed in a curbside recycling container. She reviews some global impacts and offers suggestions (use your own shopping bags, buy vintage, etc.) that concerned individuals can adopt. Only a few pages of sources were provided, however. Also, an index was not available in the advanced reader copy so it is difficult to judge how "user-friendly" this text would be. Colorful illustrations were prepared by Christie Young and CAN I RECYCLE THIS? did receive a starred review from Booklist.

This book was so interesting and informative! I expected I would skim a lot of it in the "is this specific thing recyclable" section, but I read every word because it was rather fascinating. The format of this book really enhances it's readability. Beautiful illustrations accompany the text and serve to break it up while simplifying and clarifying points that have been made.

It was a surprisingly light read for such a dense topic and even though it didn't take long to finish I feel like I know A LOT more about recycling. Romer doesn't sugar coat the subject but does suggest that certain changes in laws, regulations, and consumer behaviors could improve the recycling process and make it more like that environmental savior that marketing campaigns have been claiming it to be since the 1970s.

This book was received as an ARC from PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Books in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I was a little familiar of the basics of recycling but Can I Recycle This? takes a deeper meaning to the word recycle and educates us on why certain materials need to be recycled and are dangerous to our planet. I loved how the first recycled material the book focused on was Pizza Boxes. I myself used to live with a roommate that would hoard pizza boxes and all I wanted to do with them was take them to the trash bin. Now that I knew they can always be recycled and my complex now has a recycle bin instead of a dumpster, I feel less guilty. This book is perfect for a deeper education in the art of recycling and learning all the details on why it can save the world and save everyone.

We will consider adding this title to our Self-Help collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

A book that more people should read and take an interest in! This illustrated guide allows for clear understanding on what we can do to better our recycling habits!

"Can I Recycle This?" is a great guide on how to recycle. The book goes into great detail about the process of recycling, what materials can be recycled, and how you can reduce waste in your life. While I knew a lot about the recycling process, I did learn some information from this book. I also really liked the colorful illustrations that go along with the text. It made the book more enjoyable. There were times, though, where I found the book very dense and also it sometimes leans to heavy on the environmental activism aspect. Overall, I think this a great guide to teach people about recycling. This is one thing that is often not talked enough about in schools and it's important to be educated on what happens to our waste.

Whether we're wishcyclers, tree huggers, or reluctant trash sorters...we all need the information in this book. In Can I Recycle This? A Guide to Better Recycling, author Jennie Romer and illustrator Christie Young have created probably the most readable guide on recycling and what should actually go in that yellow recycling container. Milk jugs? Yep. Yogurt cups? Nope. Shampoo bottles? Yep. Juice pouches? Nope. But it's not just a red-light/green-light list. Romer provides history, science, and real-world data to inform, and Young provides fresh, whimsical, watercolor-y illustrations that pull the reader through the book. It's a truly enjoyable read, and one I will reference frequently when I don't want to be a wishcycler (someone who puts items in a recycling bin instead of the trash even if they're not sure whether they are recyclable or not).

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THIS BOOK:
Romer and Young find the perfect balance of hard information and engaging (fun!) illustrations. Even the graphs are illustrations! It's like hiding kale in brownies.

WHO THIS BOOK IS FOR:
Anyone who wants to be smart about recycling. Heck, even people who don't want to be smart about it—it may still change habits.

*Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Books for providing a copy of this book for review purposes.

Exceptionally well done book on recycling. It is an extremely complicated manner and the author does an excellent job articulating the distinct specifics around various common types of packages and how to stay engaged in helping improve our waste problems through action and advocacy.