aspirational recycling

aspirational recycling (uncountable)

1. Setting aside materials for recycling that are not actually recycled by one's garbage collection service.
   • 2018, Michelle MacKinnon, "Your ‘aspirational recycling’ is only part of Seattle’s trash problem", Capitol Hill Seattle Blog:

     The harm of aspirational recycling goes beyond the added resources sorting facilities must employ to remove such contaminants.

• wishful recycling
• wishcycling