Top 10 Recycling Tips | Everyday Sustainability Best Practice
There are so many ways to contribute to ecology and conservation in your community. Get together with your family or coworkers and have a meeting to get everyone’s input and ideas on how recycling can be implemented in your home or office. Recycling together as a group can make it fun and efficient. As you move forward with your plan there will be opportunities to improve the process as everyone learns about recycling.
01. Reuse, rethink, recycle! They say one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Take some time to see if there are items in your house that can be repurposed instead of thrown away. Reusing or re-purposing items helps reduce carbon emissions related to product manufacture and retail logistics. It also helps conserve natural resources and reduces the amount of waste that could otherwise end up in a landfill.
02. You can set up separate recycling bins; one for recyclables, another for garbage or trash and one for compost. It’s best to label the bins, so you can keep things organized. Distribute bins in multiple locations throughout the house or office. The kitchen, garage or mudroom are usually used to store recycling bins. Think about areas where extra recycling bins can be placed, perhaps the laundry room, bathroom, workout area or storage closet. You can use a recyclable bin liner to keep the bin clean and dry. Clean and dry containers before putting them in the bins. To conserve space, compact or smash all recyclables before putting them into the bins.
03. Donating clothes and household items is a great way to support the reuse, rethink, recycle philosophy. Thrift store shopping has become a fad, lots of sharp outfits and sleek interior decorating have been crafted from well selected thrift items. Donating Items and Clothing is a great way to contribute to your community in a positive way. If you haven’t used something in years, it’s time to let it go, lots of organizations welcome your charitable donations. Nothing usable should get thrown out until the community has a chance to check it out.
04. Recycle household water, don’t let used water go down the drain, you can find ways to recycle it throughout your home or yard. If you have a garden, use water that you’ve boiled pasta or eggs with, after it cools down. You can also use leftover bathwater or dish-washing water as long as you use biodegradable soap. Consider upgrading plumbing so rainwater and/or greywater from your sink and shower is used to flush the toilet. Greywater can be recycled to support your lawn and garden, watering your landscape while conserving water usage.
05. Save money and help the environment by refilling your home or office inkjet printer cartridges instead of replacing them with new inkjet cartridges. If you have to buy new cartridges be sure to recycle the old ones, most print cartridge vendors have a recycling program. Otherwise they just end up in landfills.
06. Making a personal choice to buy recycled goods to reduce your carbon footprint is a great way to contribute to ecology and a clean planet. Many of the products we buy should be made with a percentage of recycled goods, get in the habit of checking the label before you buy products, make sure you support manufacturers who make ethical choices. The main function of recycling is the circular movement of materials through an ecosystem, eliminating the need to rely on raw materials as well as minimizing landfill waste.
Finding products that properly implement recycled content is now much more common, companies are becoming aware of their eco responsibilities. Items made from recycled components are more likely to be recyclable again once you are finished using the products. By purchasing items manufactured from recycled materials you are making a statement to companies, corporations and conglomerates, sending the message that consumers prefer products that are ecologically sustainable. Standing our ground sends a clear message!
07. Eliminate single use items, buy reusable products. For example, don’t buy bottled water, you can refill your own reusable water bottles at a water outlet or drink filtered tap water. Bring your own shopping bags to the grocery store, if you do get single use bags be sure they get recycled. Did you know only 24% of plastic water bottles are recycled? Working together we can all improve these statistics and the condition of our planet.
08. It’s a good idea to know what you can and can’t recycle, read the recycling rules for your city, make sure you don’t drop off items that can’t be recycled. Each community has its own rules regarding recycling. It’s important to become educated on the subtleties of conservation. There are several types of recycling; real recycling, and green-washed recycling, knowing the difference can send the message to companies. Conscious consumers are not interested in the “phony recycling programs” some companies are offering! The reality is “recycling programs” that do not deliver efficient forms of product reuse are used for company advertisements and press releases. The truth behind the scene is; some companies are not engaged in ethical recycling practices.
09. Recycling electronics products is becoming more common in many cities worldwide, battery recycling is widely accepted as well. There are many organizations that collect used computer parts and peripherals, then turn them into working components to be used for resale. Craigslist and eBay are also great platforms to give electronics and computers a second life. You can find many programs that recycle cellular phones and batteries; repurposed and made available to senior citizens and low income families. Household appliances that are broken can be offered thrift stores, local repair shops, trade schools, and/or community folks interested in appliance restoration. Many cities now offer electronic waste recycling days where they will accept electronics and appliances.
10. Composting is the common method for recycling food waste. Did you know organic matter is the largest source of methane gas emissions on the planet. Due to our current methodology, most landfills are overrun with organic matter. According to national stats, approximately 20 pounds of food per person is wasted each month. Organic food waste is the 2nd largest contributor to our landfill crisis. You can take a DIY approach to composting, recycled compost materials can be added to gardens and flower beds around your home. If you live in an apartment, you can check with your city to see if they provide the option for curbside pick-up of organic waste. Dumps and commercial compost facilities usually accept plant-based goods, dairy waste and meat products. Restrict home composting to plant-based waste in order to reduce odors and not attract pests.
We hope these Top 10 recycling tips help inspire new and innovative ways you, your family and coworkers will engage with conservation, ecology and sustainable living. Please feel free to share blog posts with the public, help spread the word about caring for our beautiful planet!