Recycling 101: What You Need to Know
Recycling is something we always hear about, yet many people do not know the basics. Recycling isn’t just about sorting waste into different categories. Understanding what recycling is and adding extra steps in your waste routine can further help the planet. It’s all about staying mindful and not rushing to throw something into the trash.
Remember, recycling is a process. When people recycle correctly and thoroughly, it makes the overall process seamless and efficient. Recycling helps to manage the excessive amounts of waste produced each year.
How to Start Recycling
You should start with researching what items need to be separated for clarification. There are specific items you may not know how to recycle or which category they fall under. Reviewing this information before you create a recycling space in your home will help navigate your recycling routine.
No matter what, you will need to sort different items to recycle. The easiest way to start is to use different bins to separate your trash from recycling.
To further improve recycling, have separate bins for paper, plastic, and glass. All these items can be recycled appropriately if separated before they arrive at the landfill. You can take the process one step further by adding compost trash. You just separate your organic matter from waste.
Switch to Reduced Packaging Products
To improve your recycling system, it’s also imperative to reduce how much plastic you consume - especially if you consume lots of single-use plastic. A simple way to fix this is to swap out all products that use additional packaging or plastic.
Many companies are eliminating single-use plastic in their products . Companies like CleanPacs have a mission to eliminate single-use plastic. You just reuse the same spray bottle, and they send refill pacs for their products. All your cleaning products and laundry detergent can be replaced to reduce waste and promote recycling.
Plastic Bags
If you cannot find ways to reuse plastic bags, do not throw them away. Instead, find a collection bin. You usually find these at grocery stores. Bringing extra bags helps recycle the plastic bags versus throwing them away.
Remove Liquids
Liquids, of any kind, make it challenging to properly recycle since it adds extra steps to clean out before it can be recycled.
Make sure you properly clean every bag or container. It feels like a lot, but once you develop a flow, you can maintain a recycling routine. This is important because it costs more money
and time if it isn’t rinsed out beforehand. Plus, it makes it harder to guarantee it will be recycled. Take ownership of your waste by cleaning recyclables before you discard them.
Use Drop Off Centers
Okay! You’ve set up a recycling space, and you’re cleaning and sorting all your recyclables. What’s next? What do you do? Your neighborhood might not accommodate recycling pickup. This means you will have to find recycling centers for your recyclables.
If you go to your town or city website, you can find drop off centers for recycling. Just double-check the time and location.
It might seem like a lot of extra work. It’s not as simple as having only two trash bins. It’s essential to take these additional steps and take accountability for your waste.
To make it easier, try to develop a recycling system and space in your home. You can clean all recycling items each day, air dry, and sort. Then, schedule a day each week or every other week to drop off your recycled materials. Once you create a routine, it won’t feel as time-consuming.
Remember, we must recycle and protect our planet.
