How to Recycle at Home

We've all heard of the three R's: reduce, reuse and recycle. They are very important. The United States leads the industrialized world in municipal solid waste generation, with each person in the United States currently generating an average of 4.5 pounds of waste per day. Recycling levels in the United States are high enough to provide electricity for 9 million homes, but we can still do more.

Instructions

How to Recycle at Home

1. Take a doggie bag when eating out. Refrigerate leftovers so that you can eat them at a later date, and they will still retain their freshness.

2. Start a compost pile in your garden so that you can recycle all your organic household waste. This can include newspaper and lawn clippings. Eventually you'll have rich compost to add to your garden.

3. Dispose of chemicals such as paints, cleaners, oils, batteries, and pesticides that contain potentially hazardous ingredients with special care. These hazardous waste materials cannot be simply disposed of by pouring them down the drain, on the ground, into storm sewers, or putting them out with the trash.

4. Find out what kinds of materials your local recycling center accepts.

5. Purchase a number of tough plastic bins so you can sort your recyclable material.

6. Reuse any item that can be reused. Otherwise, give it to a charity or someone who will find a use for it.

Tips & Warnings

• Of course the simplest way to avoid accumulating hazardous waste is not to purchase these products at all. There are many alternatives available.

• Hazardous materials include pesticide, herbicide, batteries, paint, motor oil, antifreeze, and fluorescent light bulbs.