Where did the recycling symbol come from? Who designed it?

A deep dive into its origin, journey, and impact

Elvis Hsiao
UX Collective
Published in
11 min readJul 20, 2023

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Picture of the original recycling logo being designed.
Source: https://www.packagingstrategies.com/articles/96766-the-story-behind-the-symbol

Imagine standing in your kitchen, sifting through your day’s worth of trash, separating recyclables from non-recyclables. As you reach for a plastic bottle, your eyes are drawn to the familiar three-arrowed triangle, the universal recycling symbol.

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UX Designer | 3X Top Writer | Vancouver, BC | Creating Positive Impact Through Design.