Not all plastics are equal -- some types and colors are easier to recycle than others. For instance, black foam and black coffee lids, which are often made of polystyrene, usually end up in landfills ...

Not all plastics are equal—some types and colors are easier to recycle than others. For instance, black foam and black coffee ...

An emerging strategy for plastic recycling involves using light ... and then set the vial under high-intensity white LEDs for 30 minutes. The carbon black converted the LED light into heat.