How to Recycle Effectively

By eHow Health Editor

Rate: (9 Ratings)

More than half of all Americans have access to curbside recycling programs. Most programs take certain types of plastics, paper and glass. It's easy to set up a recycling area in your home. Check out these simple steps.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Step1
Designate an area in your house where the recyclable materials will go. Be sure you have enough room in the area for at least three or four recycling containers.
Step2
Use trash cans, plastic bins or cardboard boxes to hold your recyclables. If your community has a curbside recycling program, it will probably provide you with recycling bins.
Step3
Label your recycling bins with each of the following: plastic, mixed-color paper, newspaper, cardboard, and aluminum and tin.
Step4
Consider placing small recycling containers in different rooms in the house if the recycling area is far away. The recyclables can be separated and recycled with the larger bins on a weekly basis.
Step5
Keep a small trash can or plastic bag handy in your kitchen for plastic grocery-store bags. These can be dropped off for recycling at your local grocery store.
Step6
Recycle all white office paper, mixed-color paper and newspaper. These may need to be separated by type depending on your community's recycling program.
Step7
Place all glass together. Be sure to leave out ceramic, mixed-colored and broken glass, mirrors, windows, Pyrex, light bulbs and glass tableware. These cannot be recycled
Step8
Put type 1 (PETE) and type 2 (HDPE) plastic containers in separate recycling bins.
Step9
Think about composting (allowing plant materials to decompose) your yard trimmings and kitchen waste instead of throwing them out. Compost is a great for the soil in you garden or for houseplants.
Step10
Call 1 (800) CLEANUP for more information about recycling in your community.

Tips & Warnings

  • Call the Alliance of Foam Packaging Recyclers, at (410) 451-8340, or visit their Web site to find a local recycling center in your area that will take foam packaging (type 6 plastic, Expanded Polystyrene, which is also known as EPS). Other type 6 items, such as plastic utensils, will most likely need to be thrown out.
  • Reuse or collect plastic packaging "peanuts," and drop them off at your local packaging store. Most chain packaging stores, such as Mail Boxes Etc., will accept them.

Comments

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Anonymous

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 You can also recycle masonite to use as a substitute for
canvases for oils or acrylics. Prime it, then go over
it with gesso. Or just paint directly on the primer.

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eHow Article: How to Recycle Effectively

eHow Health Editor

eHow Health Editor

Category: Health

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