There's putzing level, which is conversational but still putting in some effort. Maybe putzing with a buddy you might get into a thing where his front wheel is just in front of yours so you speed up, and next thing you know you've set a PR on some obscure segment. That's not a recovery ride, that's junk miles, which can be fun but are not helpful for training purposes.
Then there's sub putzing level, which is moving. Spin in a low gear, and don't shift up for any reason. When you finish, you feel fresher than when you started. That's a recovery ride.