How to Recycle

Rate: (2 Ratings)

Recycling has evolved over the years, into a mult-million dollar industry. It was almost unheard of 20 years ago. Now people are finding ways to recycle just about anything you can think of. As the founder of a local children's club that promoted recycling, I've seen first hand, the changes that can be made. Several years ago, a recycling center consisted of four or five dumpsters that were restricted to newspapers, cardboard, glass, and aluminum. Now the local recycling center has receptacles for several kinds of plastics as well as steel cans. Many areas have also established "Solid Waste Districts" to help the counties implement the new recycling programs. For those of you who want some start up information, read on.

Flag Article

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

boxes or crates to put your recyclables in
you'll need to know where your local drop off centers are, or if your community has a curbside program
where your local solid waster district headquarters is located for things like chemicals, tires, etc.

How to Recycle

Step1

Learn to recognize the recycling logo on products and their packaging. The logo is three arrows bent to form a revolving triangle. It is usually placed on the bottom or sides of packages. Plastics will have a number located in the middle of the triangle. These numbers will range from 1 to 7. The higher the number, the harder it is to recycle.

Step2

Thoroughly clean the recyclable item. Remove any labels, if you can. Rinsing them out is very important. It keeps pests, such as rats, mice and raccoons out of the dumpsters.

Step3

Once the items are cleaned and separated, you can either place them on the curb (that is, if you have curbside recycling) or take them to your local drop off centers. Remember that window glass is not the same as commercial glass used for food. You'll have to take window panes to the Solid Waste Headquarters. Also remember that cardboard and paperboard are not the same. Paperboard is what is used for small packages, like toys, cereal or cake mixes. Some places like for you to take the slick paper inserts out of your newspapers before you bundle them.

Step4

Find out what items your local Solid Waste District accepts. Some will take electronics, tires or appliances. You will probably have to call and make an appointment though before dropping them off. Also watch for hazardous waste drop offs. They are usually held every couple of months. It's a good way of getting rid of old paint, chemicals, pesticides and poisons.

Step5

In many areas, a compost facility has been established. You can take your extra lawn clippings, grass, and leaves there for them to be added in to the mix. The next spring, you will have usable compost for gardening or lawn maintenance. If you get creative, make your own compost bin.

Tips & Warnings

Get boxes and crates to carry your recyclables in. Wait till they get full and make one trip.
Always wash your items with water. It eliminates odor and the possibility of drawing insects or rodents.
Be careful when recycling glass. If something breaks, you don't want to get cut.
Be careful when carrying your toxic chemicals to the drop off sites. Prevent spills when you can.

Who Can Help:

Comments

RecycleGuru said

Flag This Comment

on 3/14/2008 Some other great companies to recycle with: Planet Green for inkjet cartridges (http://www.planetgreenrecycle.com) and RMS for cell phones (http://www.cellphonerecycling.com/)

View All