Recycling isn’t just about tossing your soda can or old newspaper into a blue bin and walking away feeling good. It’s a small act that, done correctly, and with recycling right can boosts your health with many benefit to your personal and community health, your wallet, and to the planet on wider terms. From reducing pollution to conserving natural resources, recycling makes a real impact. But to truly make a difference, it helps to know what you’re doing, and that’s where things can get a little tricky.
What Should Be in the Recycling Bin?
We begin with the fundamentals. Empty and clean items such as plastic containers and bottles, aluminum cans, glass jars and bottles, dry paper, newspaper, junk mail, metal food cans, milk and juice cartons, and crushed cardboard are all widely accepted. Again, the word is clean food particles or liquid on an item can spoil a whole batch, making recyclables useless. A couple of tips to keep in mind:
- Leave plastic lids on bottles.
- Take off the lids on glass jars.
- Pizza boxes are fine if they’re grease-free.
- Paperboard boxes (such as cereal or tissue boxes) are good to go.
What Doesn’t Belong?
Not all materials with a recycling symbol can go in your curbside bin. Items such as plastic bags, shrink wrap, hoses, PVC pipes, and large plastic items (such as patio furniture or kiddie pools) need special attention. Many grocery stores have drop-off locations for plastic bags and foam containers.
Toxic substances such as light bulbs, batteries, electronics, paint, and motor oil never belong in your standard bin. These must be disposed of at a hazardous waste disposal center or a special recycling center. Drugs and syringes must be disposed of carefully, too, your pharmacy or local waste department can direct you.
Don’t “Wish-Cycle
One of the most frequent errors is “wish-cycling”, adding in things you wish were recyclable, but are not. Sadly, wishful thinking has the potential to create real issues. Contamination can result in whole loads being sent to landfills. In some locations, such as Gaston County, North Carolina, it’s even resulted in recycling centers having to close temporarily.
Not certain what an item is? Don’t take a guess. Consult your local recycling information or a worker at your local recycling center. Tip: sort aluminum apart from steel cans and remove plastic bags from your regular bin altogether.
How Recycling Can Save You Money
Recycling isn’t only environmentally friendly, it can be fiscally friendly, as well. Many communities provide incentives for delivering sorted recyclables. In some locations, delivering a bag of recyclables will gain you the privilege of dumping a few bags of trash for free. Though these perks generally don’t extend to bulk waste or scrap metal, they can lower regular garbage costs.
How Communities Are Making Recycling Easier
Cities and towns from coast to coast are rising to meet the challenge of helping residents recycle better. For instance, the Town of Parker, Colorado, has signed the National League of Cities’ Recycle Right Pledge to encourage cleaner recycling practices and provide access to hard-to-recycle materials.
In Hillsborough County, Florida, curbside recycling is offered weekly to homeowners, and renters are also allowed to use local drop-off points without the need for special documents. Most locations also have volunteer centers and one-day events for recycling metals, electronics, and hazardous waste.
Recycling is everyone’s responsibility, and a great way to get involved. It keeps toxic trash out of landfills, reduces pollution, and saves precious resources for tomorrow. It can even save you a little money on your garbage bill.
So the next time you reach for the trash can, slow down. One simple choice can make your neighborhood, your community, and your world healthier, cleaner, and greener.
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