Recycling is the process of converting waste into reusable materials. There are many examples of recycling that don’t involve putting items into a green bin, like using an old jam jar as a vase for flowers.
Everyone has their own reasons for recycling, but here are five major reasons why you should make a habit to recycle properly:
Specifics can vary depending on the rules at your local recycling center or curbside recycling program, but the following items can generally be recycled:
Recycling aluminum cans save 95% of the energy required to make the same amount of aluminum from its virgin source.10 You can recycle the following aluminum materials, but make sure they’re free of residue.
If there’s a hard-to-clean substance stuck to an item, you’re better off throwing it away.
Paper and cardboard have a 68% recycling rate in the U.S., which is pretty high compared to other materials. Again, make sure the material is free of food residue before putting it in the recycling bin. And be sure to check with your curbside recycling program’s policy, as some only accept corrugated cardboard.
Sadly, only 5–6% of the 46 million tons of plastic generated in the U.S. gets recycled.11 You can help increase that statistic by properly cleaning and recycling the following plastic products:
*Typically, those with the numbers 1 or 2 inside the triangle can be recycled curbside, though some may have to be taken to a recycling center. Plastics numbers 3–7 must be taken to a specific recycling facility.
To avoid wishful recycling, you should trash (or explore alternative options) for the following waste:
There are other materials that can be recycled but must be taken to a special recycling center to do so properly. (In other words, don’t put these items in your recycling bin.)
These items may include:
A quick internet search of “how to recycle [item] near me” should direct you toward the proper recycling facility or drop-off center for these items.
We cannot stress this enough: the rules of recycling vary based on your local recycling center or curbside recycling program, so be sure to check what guidelines you need to follow to avoid recycling contamination.
However, the following are common dos and don’ts when it comes to proper recycling.
You now know what can and cannot be recycled, but have you ever wondered how things are recycled? Let’s take a look at some of the processes for the most common items below.
Aluminum cans and other metal materials are taken to special treatment plants. After being sorted and cleaned, the metals are remelted to remove colorings, coatings, and shapes.
Once in liquid form, the aluminum is then made into giant blocks called “ingots.” Ingots get shipped out to mills, where they get rolled out into sheets before being fashioned into their new shapes. In all, it takes just a few weeks for aluminum to be recycled.
Cardboard is first sorted by type, either boxboard (i.e., a cereal box) or corrugated (i.e., a standard shipping box). The material is then shredded and poured into big water tanks to be turned into a pulp, with all other materials (metal, tape, etc.) getting filtered out in this process.
After the filtering process, more water and chemicals are added to further pulverize the material before it gets rolled, dried, and pressed into sheets. The sheets are then cut into the proper shapes and sizes.
Similar to cardboard, newspapers or magazine paper are brought to a mill, where they are fed into a fiber preparation plant. From there, the paper is mixed in with water and chemicals that dissolve the ink and contaminants and turns into a soggy, mushy pulp.
The pulp is then injected between mesh sheets to form a wet sheet of paper. Once dried, the paper gets polished and rolled into big reels, later to be cut into smaller sizes and sold off.
Once sorted by type, plastics are cleaned and then ground up and shredded. Once in bits, the plastic gets melted down and formed into small pellets about the size of a grain of rice.
The plastic pellets are then sold to companies to melt and mold into whatever container or shape they need to create.
Having an organized and functional recycling system is important to promote proper recycling habits while also maintaining a healthier home (and planet). Here are a few steps to help get you started:
If your city offers curbside recycling, make sure you’re aware of what items it accepts and what day your recycling pickup is.
Many cities require that curbside recycling be separated into separate bins. If you’re in charge of bringing recyclables to a recycling center, you’re better off buying separate recycling bins and labeling them by type (i.e., plastic, cans, cardboard, paper).
Do you get a lot of junk mail? Do you buy unnecessary plastic products? Perhaps you have a lot of items shipped to your home? There are ways you can reduce your waste to create fewer recycling headaches.
Reducing your home waste (especially ridding of those cardboard boxes) can help keep your home free of pests as well.
Stay on top of your recycling by breaking down your materials and sorting them into their respective bins. If you have curbside recycling, set a phone reminder to move your bins to the curb the night before pickup.
Maintaining a home recycling system is a great chore for children, but the chore doesn’t have to be a bore. Here are some tips to make recycling more exciting for kids.
If possible, make smaller recycling bins for your kids’ bedrooms or playroom and teach them how to break down materials and properly sort them. The night before recycling day, they can add their separate stashes to the bigger bins.
A recycling scavenger hunt is a sneaky way to get your kids to help you clean the house. Have them go around your home and find different items that can be recycled, like the opened boxes from online purchases or the soda cans left in the TV room.
You can also hide recycled materials around the house to make it a little more interactive.
There are plenty of ways to upcycle recycled materials, especially those that can’t go into curbside recycling. You could make seed starters out of egg cartons, sew door drafts, or heating pads from old clothing. If you use recycled materials for general arts and crafts, the possibilities are endless.
Make a habit of going through the toys and clothes that your children have outgrown and asking them how these items may better serve other children in your community. Whether that be a neighbor or schoolmate or drop off at a donation center or thrift store.
You can use plastic jugs or bottles to make homemade bird feeders. All you need is a pair of scissors or X-acto knife, a long stick, a piece of used wire (or string or twine), a nail, and some birdseed.
You can recycle materials to make games for children. Many of these work best in bigger group settings, ideal for the classroom or parties. Here are some ideas:
Below are some helpful recycling and eco terms to know and teach to your kids.
Source Today’s Homeowner
April 12, 2023
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