Things You'll Need:
- Recycling bins Recyclable material
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Step 1
Obtain a minimum of three bins made of plastic or rubber. Large storage containers can be found at almost any department store and are ideal to use as recycling bins. If your community has a mandatory recycling program, the city may provide you with bins for free. Try to gather four bins so you will have one for aluminum cans, one for steel cans, one for glass and one for plastic bottles.
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Step 2
Change your habits. Instead of throwing items in the garbage, get into the habit of walking to the garage or back door to throw each item into the proper recycling bin. This will clean up the environment and get you a little extra exercise in the bargain. Anything that is made from metal, glass or plastic should be recycled.
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Step 3
Save your old newspapers and magazines. Stack the newspapers and magazines into neat piles. Wrap each stack with string and tie it off at the top so that the bundle can be picked up without the stack falling over.
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Step 4
Flatten all cardboard boxes and arrange them in a neat stack. Also include small cardboard items, such as the boxes that dry goods are sometimes packaged in at the grocery store (Mac-n-cheese box). If you have an exceptionally large box, you will need to cut or fold it so that it fits with the rest of the stack. Tie the stack up with string to prevent it from falling apart.
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Step 5
Take your materials to the local recycling center to sell them. Look in the yellow pages of the telephone book for listings under "salvage" or "scrap" to find the recycling centers in your area. If your community has mandatory recycling, you probably have a curbside pick-up service.
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Step 6
Save your plastic grocery bags. Plastic bags can be reused, which is a superior form of recycling in many ways. Take the extra bags with you to your local Wal-Mart, where there will be a recycling bin inside the entrance for plastic bags. Some grocery stores or other retailers may also have these bins, so look carefully when you are doing your shopping. You can also take the bags directly to your local food pantry, which will reuse them when they distribute food. Inspect these bags first to make sure they are intact.
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Step 7
Recycle all of your dead batteries. Many people toss their old batteries in the garbage without giving it a second thought, but batteries are toxic and can poison the water table. Take your car, boat and motorcycle batteries to a local auto parts dealer. Smaller household batteries can be recycled through companies like Battery Solutions (Resources), but will require you to take the initiative to put the batteries in the mail.
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Step 8
Send all computers, mobile devices and other electronics to special recycling centers. Electronics waste contains components and raw metals that can be reused, and also contains toxic elements that need to be kept out of landfills. Most major manufacturers will recycle their own products free of charge. Contact the equipment manufacturer for recycling information. Alternatively, you could donate the items to a charity or vocational school, where the items will be refurbished, if possible, and put to good use.
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Step 9
Take old automobiles to the auto salvage yard for recycling. Salvage yards usually pay a set price for every 100 pounds the vehicle weighs. A factory sticker on the inside of the driver's door will identify the vehicle's weight. It is also a good idea to auction off as many individual parts as you can before selling the car for salvage. Selling headlights, taillights and other basic parts on ebay can get you extra cash and also recycle the parts for use in other vehicles.
