In most places, recycling has become easier than ever. There are many districts that come and pick recycling up from your curb just like they do garbage. In every district, there is a center available to drop your recycling at.
This easy access to recycling resources has made recycling more popular and widely spread than ever. However, that means that there is more confusion about what exactly can be recycled. Recycling and garbage look the exact same because they often are.
Knowing which items you use can be recycled will help you start to protect the planet in a small, easy way. Waste management plays a huge part in saving our planet as well. Once you learn how to identify recyclables it will become much easier to recycle and control your waste. Here are a few ways to tell if your garbage is recyclable or not.
1. Check With Your Town
The first step to finding out what you can recycle is to look into what your townships recycling center allows. This will tell you the things you need to start putting aside as recycling and the things that can remain garbage. It can also help you locate the nearest recycling drop off to you.
Most counties will have one or two places you can drop off your recycling. It will tell you what types of recycling can be dropped off there and have designated bins for each type of recycling. This will help you know where to put all of your recycling and how it should be organized.
Your county also might pick recycling up from your curb the way they do garbage. If that is the case, you should be able to find what you are allowed to put in those county-owned bins and what needs to be thrown away. Checking with your town for recycling resources in your area is the best way to get started.
2. Plastic is Usually a Recyclable Garbage
Plastic is probably the most confusing recyclable because it is not always recyclable. Depending on the number on the plastic it might still need to be thrown away. Usually, plastic numbers one through seven are recyclable but that might change depending on your county.
The number of your plastic will be stamped somewhere on the item inside a recycling symbol. If that number is one that your nearest center recycles then that piece of plastic should be recycled. If the number is not one accepted by your county then it should be thrown away or recycled in a county that accepts that number.
You will likely find that most of the plastic, if not all of the plastic, that you use can be recycled. Putting numbers into your recycling that are not accepted will make the process of sorting through your recycling at the center much more difficult and time-consuming. It is important you comply with the recycling rules your county has put in place to make the recycling system run smoothly.
3. Aluminum, Tin, and Steel Are All Recyclable
Aluminum, tin, and steel are pretty much always recyclable. This includes soda cans, tin foil, and steel cans. Things like that, which are used every day, can be recycled and cut down on your footprint significantly.
4. Food Can Be Composted
Food is recyclable through composting. It should never be put in your recycling bins. This includes the items that you are allowed to recycle.
It is important you rinse off all of the items you are recycling before you recycle them. This keeps them clean and helps prevent the food rotting while your items wait to be recycled. You may choose to compost, but do not recycle food along with your recycling.
5. Paper Products Are Recyclable
Pretty much everything made from paper products is recyclable. This includes cartons, cardboard, newspapers, magazines, books, and loose paper. As long as the item is not covered in food it can be recycled and re-used.
It is best to recycle all of your paper products. This will significantly decrease the amount of waste you are putting into the world. The number of paper products you use will become apparent as soon as you begin recycling.
6. When In Doubt, Throw it Out
One of the main rules you will hear about recycling is “when in doubt, throw it out”. This is a good rule of thumb for everyone who recycles. If you are not sure you are allowed to recycle it and you can’t find any information on it then it is best to throw that item away.
Many items that people are not sure about are products that are not recyclable. If you send a non-recyclable product to a recycling plant it runs the risk of slowing down the whole system. For instance, plastic bags are not recyclable and often jam up recycling machines that can cost thousands of dollars to repair.
If you are not sure it should be recycled then do not recycle it. This might produce one or two extra pieces of garbage, but it is much more likely that the item was not recyclable anyway. When in doubt, throw it out is the best way to go about recycling once you know the general products that can always be recycled.
7. Glass Is Also Usually Recyclable
Glass is recyclable. It is also being taken off most counties lists for products you can put in their recycling bins. Many counties will now have designated places you can take your glass to be recycled.
The reason for this is because it is expensive to recycle glass. There are different colors of glass that must be melted down to create a new product. This is a lengthy and expensive process that many places are not willing to undertake at this time.
This does not mean you should not recycle your glass. There is likely a place near you that will accept at least some types of glass. Do not throw away your glass unless you are sure there is no place that will take it or you are unwilling to go that far out of your way to recycle.
Recycle At Your Home
Recycling is not as confusing as it can first appear. Often the items that should be recycled are obvious and easy to remember. Once you learn to know the differences between recycling and trash you will be able to easily sort out all of the recycling you had been throwing away.