There are many benefits to recycling materials at the end of their lives, but there are even more reasons why “Recycling” is the third and last R in Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.
More than 700 million plastic jugs end up in our landfills and oceans every year.
Glass, aluminum, and steal can be recycled indefinitely, making them a preferable option to plastic.
Less than 8.4% of plastic actually gets recycled.
Because of this, we aren’t really reducing waste when we throw something in the recycling bin.
Are you familiar with “Plastic Island”?
The Great Pacific garbage patch, or the Pacific trash vortex, is an island of marine debris particles and trash in the north-central Pacific Ocean that expands over 1 million square miles (that’s over 10 times the size of the United Kingdom).
Other countries now deny America’s recyclable plastics.
Americans produce and use so much single-use plastic that other countries will no longer accept them for recycling.
Recycling does not always help the environment (yet).
Only a small percent of our recyclables are actually being reclaimed, which means most of the items we recycle will sit in warehouses, on land, or in oceans until we figure out what to do with them.
Recycling is currently hurting our environment more than it is helping.
Every time your recycling bin gets picked up and transported to the processing facility, CO2 is released into the air. Every time those materials get processed, more CO2 is released into the atmosphere.
If you like servicing your car at home, naturally you’ll end up with countless bottles of wiper fluid, transmission fluid, oils, and more.Find a location to drop off and recycle automotive fluids using our recycling locator.
Many car fluids like power steering fluid, transmission fluid, gear and motor oil, and antifreeze can be recycled into new, usable fluids. Flammable liquids like fuel are extremely hazardous and must be properly discarded, and some of them can be recycled and reused as alternative fuels.
Recycling car batteries is quite common Batteries are actually the most recycled item in the US, at a 98% – 99% recycling rate! The easiestway to ensure your old battery gets recycled is just to take it to any dealership or automobile store. By law these shops are required to take them and have contracts with battery manufactures to regularly ship out old batteries to be recycled.
The EPA website states that if poured down any drain, oil from at-home oil changes can contaminate 1 million gallons of water. When powering your vehicle the motor oil is, consistently getting more and more contaminated. Refining the oil can remove the contaminants and allow the oil to be turned into fuel.
Rules for Recycling
Some cities may allow you to recycle motor oils and filters curbside, but you will need to ensure that you follow all packing requirements to ensure they get handled correctly. To be safe, it’s always best to transport these items directly to a recycling center or a retailer.
DO NOT place in your regular recycling bin.
The bottles containing these chemicals can be recycled, but since they are not food-grade plastic, many recycling companies will not accept them. Take these items directly to a recycling center or retailer to ensure they get handled properly.
Auto Zone, Walmart Tire & Lube Express, O’Reilly Auto and many other retailers will accept these materials and oils to be recycled.
Your state or city may have designated drop-off sites and collection facilities.
There are many ways tires can be reused and recycled. They can even be burned off and reused as fuel. Just in the United States 300 million tires per year are dumped into landfills, they become breeding houses for mosquitoes and attract rodents. Tires take up lots of space and can even become a fire hazard. Tire derived fuel has been and currently is an alternative fuel source to common fossil fuels andsurprisingly they produce 25% more energy than coal.
Rules for Recycling
Take off rim and recycle (you can even make some money recycling your old aluminum rims)
DO NOT throw in your regular recycling bin
Ask your car dealership or auto shop if your old tires can be patched up and/or retreaded to make them last even longer.
If you must replace your tires, ask your auto shop if they can recycle your old tires for you.
Consider using your old tires for a project before recycling. You can make planters, compost bins, and, of course, tire swings.
Reduce & Reuse
Below are a variety of ways to reuse tires before recycling.
When purchasing new appliances, choose a newer model with energy saving capabilities. Always recycle your old appliance since it contains a large amount of metal, including steel the most recycled material in the US. Using fluorocarbons and chlorofluorocarbons air conditioners and refrigerators chill air and are leading contributors of ozone depletion when not disposed of properly. With an energy saving appliances, you’ll save not only money on your monthly bills and but some companies will even apply a credit for your new appliance when you recycle your old one.
Rules for Recycling
If you wish to recycle your appliances curbside, you’ll have to schedule a pick-up with your local waste collection service and specify what appliance you are recycling to see if there are any guidelines on how to prepare the appliance.
The EPA has a nationwide Responsible Appliance Disposal (RAD) program for recycling appliances.
Allow time for your appliance to cool down by unplugging it a few days prior to pickup.
If you plan on recycling air conditioners, freezers, or refrigerators, ensure that your recycling program removes freon. If they don’t, you’ll need to contact a professional to properly remove the freon before recycling.
If you have a new appliance being delivered, ask your retailer if they can remove and recycle your old appliance for you.
If the appliance you need to dispose of is still in working condition, consider donating it.
Batteries are found in many electronics including your smartphones and your cars. Batteries can be recycled via a take-back program, mail-in program, or even at localelectronics store. Many states require that they must be recycled because of their toxicity.
Rules for Recycling
Remove all batteries from your electronic device before recycling.
DO NOT throw in your curbside recycling bin.
Mail-in recycling programs are ideal for many offices. Have your coworkers collect their batteries (from the office and from their homes as well) and mail them in when your box gets filled up!
You can also take your batteries to your local electronics store for recycling!
Over time our electronic capabilities, may grow and many of our once-beloved devices no longer have value. Transitioning from records to tapes, and from tapes to CDs can be easy. What’s not easy is figuring out what to do with your old devices.
Did you know that tapes and CDs are made of plastic— just not food grade plastic. For this reason they are not accepted in most recycling facilities.
Rules for Recycling
DO NOT throw in your curbside recycling bin
If your devices and materials are still operational and in pretty good condition, consider donating them to a resale or thrift shop.
These items can also be used for many DIY projects and crafts!
You can also mail these objects and devices to the CD Recycling Center of America. Check their website for further instructions!
Reduce & Reuse
Below are a few different ways to reuse CDs and tapes before recycling.
Your old computer monitor, or CRT, may not serve a purpose in your home office any longer, but it can still serve a purpose.Containing at least four pounds of lead, and if you have a liquid-crystal display, or LCD, screen, chances are it is backlit with fluorescent bulbs that contain mercury, all within your monitor. Lead and mercury are both highly toxic metals that, can be incredibly dangerous when handled incorrectly.
Rules for Recycling
DO NOT throw in your regular recycling bin.
Unplug all cables and wrap them in a plastic bag or with a band. tape them to the unit.
Exercise caution when traveling your monitor since it contains toxic metals.
Staples, Best Buy, and many other electronics retailers will accept your monitor for recycling.
If you have multiple monitors and electronics to recycle, consider calling an electronic recycler and having them send a truck out to pick up your items.
Many computer manufacturers offer a credit when you recycle your old devices with them. Call or check their website to maximize your efforts.
Large electronics need recycling just as much, if not more then, petite sized electronics. Large electronics are not easier to handle, but they are worth not throwing away in your regular garbage cans. These large devices can contain metals that are easily recycled and can be toxic if handled incorrectly.
Large Electronic Categories
TVs
VHS & DVD Players
Printers
Fax Machines
Fans
Speakers
Rules for Recycling
Remove batteries, if applicable.
DO NOT throw in your regular recycling bin.
Restore factory settings, if possible, to protect your private information.
If these devices are still in working condition, consider reselling or donating them.
Remove all cords and attach them to the unit(s) they belong to.
Exercise caution when traveling your device as you do not want to break them and expose its toxic innards.
If you work in an office, consider organizing a yearly electronic recycling event.
Call your local solid waste department and ask if they have an electronic recycling program.
If not, call retailers (Best Buy, Staples, etc.) in your area and they will take your old electronics for recycling.
Go Eco Friendly
Below are our favorite eco friendly paper companies.
Every year hundreds of millions of printer cartridges are bought and more than half are dumped into landfills. These cartridges can be recycled and refillable, so there’s no reason tothrow them away with the weekly garbage?
Reduce & Reuse
Ink cartridges can be refilled up to three times, but I have never met a person that has opted to refill instead of purchase a new cartridge. After they cannot be refilled any more, they can be recycled.
Retailers can refill your cartridges and they can recycle them when you are finished. You can even refill your cartridges at home!
Rules for Recycling
DO NOT throw in your regular recycling bin.
Most office supply retailers can refill and recycle your empty cartridges for you. Staples, Office Max, and Office Depot offer rewards when you recycle and re-buy with them!
Even HP allows you to ship your cartridges to them for recycling free of charge.
Cartridges For Kids operates a charity program that collects these items and gives money to schools in return.
Let’s be real—you’re probably going to get that upgrade and get a new phone at some point. There’s no shame in upgrading, especially when every update makes your two-year-old phone glitch and slow down!
Lucky for you, phones can be recycled pretty easily and have one of the highest recycling rates out of all electronics! We just need to do it correctly to ensure it actually gets recycled instead of ending up in a landfill or in the top drawer of our dresser for 5 years.
The most sure way to recycle your phone is to trade it in when you buy a new one. You can also drop it off at an EcoATMnear you!
Rules for Recycling
DO NOT recycle curbside
Before opting to have your phones recycled, consider donating your old cell phone. Verizon’s HopeLine gives phones to survivors of domestic violence, and Cell Phones for Soldiers ships them to soldiers around the world. Many nonprofits will also recycle phones, you need only ask!
Most cell phone manufacturers are now offering take-back recycling, but considering the abundance of recycling opportunities, you may want to use other options.Your better bet would likely be to recycle your phone through the plan provider than the manufacturer.
Cell phone cases are usually made of rigid plastic, which has a limited recycling market. If your new phone is the same size as your old one, consider reusing the case (and when you buy a new phone case, get a biodegradable one from Pela).
Be sure to hit ‘factory reset’ in the settings on your old phone before discarding it so all of your data is removed.
If the cell phone battery is removable, you’ll want to take it out and be sure to surrender it to an electronics store.
Although glass is the easiest and fastest medium to recycle, not all glass can be recycled. Glass that contained food is the perfect glass to recycle and can actually end up right back on your supermarket shelves within 30 days of being recycled and can be recycled indefinitely!
Glasses that have been treated with chemicals such as windows, lightbulbs, pyrex dishes, etc. cannot be recycled in your curbside bin.
Rules for Recycling
DO NOT break the glass before recycling
DO NOT put glasses such as pyrex dishes, windows, mirrors, or any other non-food-container in your curbside bin
Remove all caps and corks (there is no need to remove the labels, unless you wish to recycle them, they will burn off when the glass is melted)
Don’t worry about non-liquids in the bottle (lime wedges, cork, etc.)
If you wish to recycle non-food containers such as windows and mirrors, you’ll need to schedule a bulk-waste pickup time with your local municipality’s solid waste office.
Reduce & Reuse
Below are a variety of ways to reuse glass before recycling.
Food Storage
Bird Feeder
DIY Soap Dispenser
Holiday Decor
Go Eco Friendly
Below are our favorite companies that provide eco friendly glass.
I know you’re thinking it probably would have been easier if The Grinch had managed to actually steal Christmas… at least the mess would be out of your hair! Luckily for you, it’s actually not too difficult to properly dispose of your tree.
If you must buy a real tree, try to find one that has been potted with the roots still on it. This way, you can plant it in your yard or donate it to be planted elsewhere.
Many cities collect trees curbside and will properly handle their disposal. You don’t want them ending up in a landfill, however, so make sure of the intentions of the person or company that is picking them up!
Rules for Recycling
Remove all of your decor and effects from the tree (including the stand)
Contact your local municipality to learn if they have a tree recycling program already in place
If they don’t, find a local company that will, and then make moves to have a program in your city for recycling trees!
At some point in your life, you may decide to do some renovating in your space. Wether that means getting new carpet, replacing doors or tiles, or a total gut and remodel, you need to ensure you are disposing of the ‘leftovers’ properly. Construction and demolition materials include, but are not limited to bricks, concrete, doors, wood, tree stumps, stones, windows, bathroom fixtures, metal, and so on. Keep in mind that even if you wish to be rid of something that is still functional, you can donate or give it away to someone that would make use of it!
Rules for Recycling
DO NOT recycle curbside!
Contact your local municipality and see if they have a program in place and can schedule a pickup of your waste
Donate items that are still functional to local charities or people you know that will make use if them (when in doubt, give to Habitat for Humanity)
Reduce & Reuse
Below are a variety of beautiful ways to create art from construction waste.
I’d rather be that person with a drawer full of corks waiting for an idea on what to do with them than be the person that just throws them away every time I pop a bottle! Corks can be recycled and repurposed so easily if you don’t like keeping crafting materials on hand.
Rules for Recycling
Do not recycle curbside!
Cork is completely biodegradable, but things don’t degrade as they should in landfills. Piles and piles of plastics and ‘stuff’ keep the biodegradable items from biodegrading.
Cork is compostable!!! Contact local farms or composting services and see it they will take your cork. Be sure it is real cork, and not plastic made to look like cork.
Use them for any and all crafts or sell them on an online marketplace or craft resale shop!
Whatever you do, do notflush your unused medications down the toilet!!! Our waters are polluted enough as is without adding more things into the mix. When cleaning out your medicine cabinet, surrender all unwanted and expired medications to your local pharmacy.
If taking such medications to a pharmacy is not an option, you can throw them away. Make sure to dispose of them somewhere that children won’t find them! Mix medications with other materials such as sand or clean cat litter so dogs and children don’t mistake them for something tasty.
Rules for Disposing
DO NOT flush unwanted medications down the sink or toilet!
Surrender to your local pharmacy
Remove all labels from the containers before surrendering
Medical supplies can be tricky to dispose of! Sharp items, syringes and tubes are biohazards and need to be properly disposed of. Check and see if your local pharmacy has a program that will properly dispose of them for you! If not, do some searching online for something local or a mail-in program.
Medical Sharp Categories
Lancets or “fingersticks”
Needles
EpiPens and all other auto-injectors
Tubes and syringes
Rules for Disposing
DO NOT recycle in your curbside bin!
Check with your local pharmacy or doctors office and see if they have a collection program
Be sure all sharp objects are sealed and labeled in a designated area so they don’t hurt anyone!
We have all been conditioned to clean out our closets at the end of the season, but did we really need to get rid of that perfectly functional top when we’re just going to buy a similar one when the same season rolls around next year? No, we don’t! If you’re trying to live a more eco friendly lifestyle, one of the best things you can do for yourself and the planet is to not throw away perfectly good clothes.
Now, a time will come when your clothing item doesn’t fit or is totally ruined. So how can we dispose of our old clothing in a safe way that doesn’t add to one of the biggest polluting industries on the planet (the fashion industry)?
Rules for Recycling
DO NOT throw in any curbside bin of yours!
Occasionally you can find a drop-off location for clothing that will be donated to those in need (though you don’t want to put anything nasty or unusable in here)
Avoid taking your clothing to thrift shops. These items will be resold when they could otherwise help someone in need of clothing!
Attend or consider hosting a clothing swap with your friends! At the end of the swap, donate the leftover clothes to an organization that will freely distribute them to those in need.
Some clothing companies like Turning Tides will accept their old clothing and in exchange will give you a discount to their site if the item is not fixable. Turning Tides will turn all clothing that is not fixable into other clothing items or use the material as stuffing for animal beds and pillows. Make companies that have this service your preferred place to shop!
If you haven’t made the switch to package-free bathroom products, you likely have a ton of recyclables in your bathroom! Bathroom product packaging is just as easy to recycle as food packaging, and you can recycle more than you think you can!
Whenever you’re ready to switch to package-free products, don’t hesitate!
Recyclable Bathroom Products
All Plastic Bottles
Paper Tubes From Toilet Paper
Cardboard Boxes (housing toothpaste tubes or soap bars)
Rigid Plastics
Plastic Films and Wrappers
Deodorant Containers
Shaving Cream Containers
Glass Cosmetic Containers
Rules for Recycling
Rinse out all containers!
Place in your curbside recycling bin
Certain plastic wraps cannot be recycled curbside (like toilet paper wrapping) and must be taken to a specific drop-off location
Carpets and rugs will not break down in a landfill and cannot be recycled curbside. When recycled properly, nearly all kinds of carpets can be recycled and turned into new carpets and other plastic products. When shopping for new carpets or rugs, ask around to see if the company you’re looking at has a recycling system. When you purchase your replacement if one is needed, try to find a more eco friendly alternative to the typical plastic carpets.
Rules for Recycling
DO NOT recycle curbside!
Find a local carpet recycling company or ask the company you’re buying your replacement from if they have a recycling program
Opt for a more eco friendly alternative to regular carpet when and where you can (options below)
The carpet padding is usually recycled separately from the carpet itself, so ensure you have a plan for both when organizing the disposal of your old carpets
Go Eco Friendly
Below are our favorite companies that provide eco friendly carpet and rugs.
Making the switch to homemade or low-waste home cleaners is not easy, but when you finally do it, it will be so worth it. Now, what to do with your empty bottles of chemicals….. Recycle them, of course!
Rules for Recycling
Make sure you empty all bottles before recycling! Use all of the product if you can, and if you can’t you can just pour it down the sink (unless the directions on the bottle say to not pour down the drain…)
Check the website for your local municipality and make sure they accept that kind of plastic for curbside recycling
Put empty bottles in your curbside recycling bin!
Go Eco Friendly
Below are our favorite companies that provide eco friendly cleaners.
I LOVE OLIVE OIL!!! I use it for nearly every dish I make. Due to the fact that it solidifies at low temperatures, you do not want to pour it down any drain.
It’s easy to get rid of, however, if you have access to large amounts of cooking oil, you’ll want to find a commercial oil recycler to dispose of your old cooking oils.
Rules for Recycling
DO NOT pour down any drain!
DO NOT put in your compost pile!
For small amounts of oil, you can simply put some paper towels in your trash can and pour the oil onto the towels so it can be soaked up or pour the oil into a sealable container and throw it away
You can reuse cooking oil a few times! If you want to reuse the oil, strain it with a fine strainer or a paper towel and store in a cool, dry place
Some cities have curbside oil collection (check with your local municipality)
The most eco friendly way to live is to use things until they are no longer usable… but what do you do when that happens to cookware??
Rules for Recycling
Some manufacturers have mail-back programs
If your cookware still works well, consider donating it to an organization or person that will get good use out of it
Sell unusable cookwares at scrapyards—research what material your cookware is made out of so you can give it to someone looking for that kind of material
Go Eco Friendly
Below are our favorite eco friendly cookware companies.
Furniture is made with many mediums and, therefore, is a bit harder to dispose of properly! It’s always better to repair, recover and fix furniture before buying new, and donate when you must get something new. As a last resort, you can recycle it with bulk waste.
Rules for Recycling
It goes without saying that you shouldn’t put furniture in your curbside bin (it probably won’t fit lol)
Consider donating it to an organization or someone who will use it
Post it on a resale app like Offer Up or Facebook Marketplace!
Most cities will offer curbside pickup—you’ll need to contact your local municipality to schedule a pickup
For furniture that is made of mostly metal, you can probably find a scrap metal worker or dealer to take it
Go Eco Friendly
Below are our favorite eco friendly furniture companies.
If you are unsure wether or not an item contains mercury, check epa.gov. Our household items and products often contain mercury and you don’t want it leaking in your trash bin where children and animals can get ahold of it, especially because some forms of mercury can contaminate the air making it toxic to breathe. Many cities and towns have a hazardous waste collection system for items like these, so you will need to contact your local municipality to find more information.
Rules for Recycling
DO NOT throw in any curbside bin!
Check with the manufacturer of the item and see if they have a take-back program in place
Check with your local municipality to see if they have a system in place for collecting these hazardous materials
The method of disposal for paints depends on what kind of paint you’re dealing with. Latex water-based paints are incredibly common and are accepted at many household hazardous waste facilities and events. Water-based paints can be recycled and made into new paints, but you’ll have to seek out recycling opportunities to ensure they get recycled.
Rules for Recycling
Paint cans can be recycled relatively easily. Remove the lid and make sure there isn’t any paint leftover (you can scrape out the dried paint and throw it away or use it for an art project). Be sure to check your local municipality, since some cities don’t accept steel paint cans for recycling. If your city does, place in your curbside recycling bin.
If there is paint leftover, ensure it is sealed so it does not dry up and store it in a cool and dry place for future use!
Donate paint you no longer have a use for!
Oil-based paints cannot be recycled. Dispose of them using your local hazardous household waste service. If you cant find this service near you, let the paint dry up and throw it in your garbage bins.
Water-based paints can be recycled! Search in your area for a company that recycles paint.
Go Eco Friendly
Below are our favorite companies that provide eco friendly paint.
Chemical pesticides can’t be recycled and the bottles they com in can’t be thrown in your curbside bins! Do not pour their contents down the drain and do not reuse their containers. Some cities may have a system in place for recycling these containers.
Rules for Disposing
DO NOT toss in curbside recycling bins!
DO NOT pour leftover contents down any drain!
If the containers still have liquids in them, take them to your local household hazardous waste program for proper disposal.
Contact your local municipality to se if your city accepts the containers you’re trying to dispose of.
If not, search in your area to find a household hazardous waste recycler and drop them off.
Aluminum is recycling’s best friend. A sustainable metal and can be recycled over and over again.An aluminum can is generally turned into a new can and back on store shelves within 60 days.Cans are usually available through curbside pickup or community drop-off locations nationwide. Aerosol cans are used to store everything from food to bathroom products to paint. While the can itself has the same value as other metal cans, the pressurized air inside and potentially hazardous contents make recycling a bit more complicated. Aerosol cans are made of either aluminum or steel, both of which are high-value metals that can be infinitely recycled into new metal products. The recycling process involves safely puncturing the can, but if thrown in the garbage, the can could explode when crushed in a landfill. Steel cans are used to package everything from pet food to vegetables to soup and are one of the oldest forms of food packaging, dating back to the 14th century. Steel cans are often lined with tin (and thus sometimes referred to as bi-metal cans) to prevent rust and food contamination, but this has no effect on the recyclability of the product. Steel has the highest recycling rate of any material, atmore than 88 percent. While this is largely due toscrap metalsuch as cars, steel cans are able to be recycled into any steel product. Steels cans may be recycled infinitely with no loss of quality.Unlike glass, paper or plastic, metal is in limited supply, putting extra importance on recycling. Two-thirds of all new steel manufactured comes from recycled steel, meaning one-third must still come from virgin material.
Rules for Recycling
Do your best to use up all the product inside.If the can still has product inside, even if it’s nonhazardous product like whipped cream, your recycling program will not accept it.The easiest way to make sure it’s empty is to shake the can and listen for liquid inside, or spray until nothing comes out.
Most aerosol cans come with a plastic cap, which should be removed and recycled separately.Visitour recycling guide on plastic capsfor more information.
DO NOT puncture a hole in the can to remove any remaining product, as the can will explode and hurt you.You should also not attempt to remove the spray nozzle on top of the can.
Verify whether your community accepts aerosol cans with other metal cans, or whether they are classified as household hazardous waste (HHW).There are separate disposal options for each.
Most steel cans will have a paper label, which does not need to be removed.The paper will be removed during the recycling process, and since it’s a low quality of paper, it won’t be worth your time to remove and recycle it with other paper.
You should rinse your cans to remove any leftover food.This will prevent your recycling bin from smelling and reduce the risk of animals attacking your recycling.
Foil is made from the same material as soda cans (aluminum), but since it’s most often contaminated with food waste or combined with plastic (like with yogurt tops), there’s no guarantee you can recycle it with your aluminum cans.
You want to make sure that aluminum foil is as clean as possible before recycling.While burns and holes won’t affect the recycling market, you’ll want to remove any meats or sauces from the foil.
If you’re recycling aluminum foil that you bought and used for storage, separate the foil from the paperboard box and corrugated tube before recycling.
If foil is combined with other materials (such as in drink boxes, candy wrappers and yogurt tops) and can’t be separated, you’ll want to throw it away.Foil mixed with other materials is considered recycling contamination.
Combine all sheets of foil into one ball.This will keep the material easily separated from other products, and also prevent it from blowing away (aluminum foil is a very light material).
Reduce & Reuse
Below are a variety of ways to reuse aluminum foil before recycling.
Scrap metal is one of the most valuable products you can recycle, and it encompasses so many consumer products.From appliances to batteries to cans to clothes hangers, metal is everywhere in our homes.Recycling metal is important to not only keep this limited supply material out of landfills, but also because it can make you money. Metal is one of the few items that you can regularly recycle for money, although you’ll usually get paid by the pound.This makes it a great fundraising opportunity. Nonferrous scrap makes up only 10 percent of the total material recycled in the U.S., but itearns more than halfof scrap recycling revenue. Metal is in limited supply, and while we can manufacture more glass and plastic from natural resources, we can’t make more aluminum, copper and steel.
Rules for Recycling
With scrap metal, the general rule is a product needs to be at least 50 percent metal.Even if that metal is surrounded by other materials like plastic, it’s worth recycling if it’s made mostly out of metal.
If you have products with only a small amount of metal but it’s easy to remove, separate the metal.For example, a plastic three-ring binder is not scrap metal, but remove the metal rings and now you’re talking.
Scrap metal is classified as either ferrous (containing iron, such as steel) and nonferrous (everything else).So, you’ll want to identify whether your metal is ferrous or nonferrous.The way to do this is with a magnet.Ferrous metals stick to a magnet; nonferrous metals don’t.
Use Earth911’s recycling directory to find a scrap metal recycler, and contact the company or visit its webpage to find out current payouts and if there’s a minimum amount of material you need to bring.
Most scrap metal recyclers will require you to bring identification when you recycle.This is to prevent people from stealing scrap metal (e.g., road signs, metal barriers) and selling it for scrap.
Reduce & Reuse
Below are a variety of ways to reuse aluminum foil before recycling.
While all paper accounts for half of the weight picked up in local curbside programs, books and magazines are some of the heaviest paper products picked up. These items fall under our “mixed paper” category, which has a very low recycling market for reuse. Items like newspapers, office paper and corrugated cardboard, most paper mills in the U.S.will recycle mixed paper. Each ton of paper recycled saves 3 cubic yards of landfill space, 380 gallons of oil and 17 trees, not to mention 4,000 kilowatts of energy and 7,000 gallons of water. We only get 33% of our new paper pulp from recycled materials; the rest must be sourced from tearing down trees and wood chips
Books & Magazine Categories
Phone Books
Magazines
Hardcover Books
Paperback Books
Rules for Recycling
Check if your local community has a reused book store you can sell or donate your old books to before recycling them curbside.
Throw away wet or distorted books and magazines.
Leave magazines in tack. Do not remove staples, ads, samples, etc.
If magazine came in plastic bag, remove from the bag and recycle separately.
Over half of the cardboard collected is used to make new cardboard boxes, and additional cardboard can be down cycled into paperboard (used for cereal boxes) or chipboard (used for shoeboxes). Making 1 ton of new cardboard requires 3 tons of trees, whereas, recycling 1 ton of cardboard eliminates 9 cubic yards of landfill space. An everyday example of paperboard is a cereal box.If you are in the market to buy paperboard, look for 100 percent recycled content. Many people mistake paperboard and cardboard for the same thing.Paperboard items have one layer, while corrugated cardboard items have three layers – two flat pieces sandwiched around a middle wavy layer.
Cardboard & Paperboard Categories
Corrugated Cardboard
Waxed Cardboard: Used to handle extreme temperatures.
Rules for Recycling
Flatten boxes
Wet cardboard doesn’t have a recycling market
Remove any shipping materials such as packing peanuts, plastic bags and bubble wrap
Use a knife or scissors to cut any tape used to seal the top and/or bottom of boxes
If there are food or oil stains on the box, either throw away the whole box or remove the stained parts with a knife or scissors.
Go Eco Friendly
Below are our favorite companies that sell eco friendly cardboard boxes and provide boxes you can rent for your move to lower waste.
Cartons like those used for milk, juice, soy or grain milk and soup are recyclable.Curbside programs continue to increase their carton recycling rate throughout the U.S., and there are drop-off and mail-in options available as well.Despite the type, refrigerated or shelf stable, cartons are a valuable source of material to make products like tissue, paper towel, and even building materials.
But that is not all.Cartons are made mainly from paper, a renewable resource.Unlike finite resources that will be gone once they’re depleted, renewable resources are there forever, if well managed.
Books & Magazine Categories
Refrigerated Cartons
Shelf Cartons
Rules for Recycling
Remove the plastic lids, caps and straws from cartons
Rinse out empty cartons
Look for the Recycle symbol on packaging before recycling
Holidays and birthdays are (usually) filled with so much joy, love and WASTE. On days you have to wrap gifts, opt for recycled or repurposed wrapping paper. Plan ahead so that you don’t show up to your niece’s birthday party with a brown paper bag and “Happy 5th” written on the front… find a source that fits your style and get a few rolls of their wrapping paper to keep on hand.
We can’t control what our loved ones will wrap our gifts in, so be sure to reuse or recycle the wrappings if you are able to! When it’s your turn to bring the gifts, we always say that it’s better to use items you already have rather than buy new ones.
Rules for Recycling
DO NOT place all wrapping paper in your curbside recycling bin. Since most wrappings are not recyclable, everything in your recycling bin will get thrown out. Most wrapping paper and ribbons cannot be recycled. It’s better to reuse these materials or not buy them at all. When you inevitably end up with plasticky wrappings, search for a local holiday community recycling event to bring these items to.
You CAN put paper-based wrapping (no lamination or plastic) or wrappings made of recycled paper in the recycling bin. Be very picky because if you put the wrong wrapping in the recycling bin, the whole lot gets tossed out to the landfill.
When you’ve used all of the money on your gift card, don’t toss it out. Keep a shoe box or bag of your empty gift cards and send them in to earthworkssystem.com so they can be recycled into new cards!
If you own or work for a shop that uses gift cards, key cards, etc., consider sourcing them from a company that uses recycled PVC to make these new cards (like earthworkssystem.com).
When in doubt, reuse. Always save gift bags, boxes, tissue paper, and anything else you can reuse!
Reduce & Reuse
Below are a few different ways to reuse common household items to use as gift wrap.
Newspaper & Book Pages
Toilet Paper Roll
Old Clothes & Fabrics
Paper Grocery Bags
Go Eco Friendly
Below are our favorite eco friendly gift wrap and accessory companies.
Newspaper is easily recycled through many curbside recycling programs and can be made into new newsprint and other materials.Find a location to recycle newspaper in your area using the recycling search tool at the end of this article.
Rules for Recycling
Can we composted
Do not recycle wet or soiled newspaper
The plastic bag around the newspaper can be recycled
Reduce & Reuse
Below are a few different ways to reuse newspaper before recycling.
In the U.S., we recycle a lot of paper; it accounts forhalf of the recyclables collected per year, and our paper recycling rate is 63 percent.However, paper still makes up 33 percent of our annual garbage output, so we have a long way to go.
Paper Categories
Mixed Paper
Office Paper
Greeting Cards
Paper Tubes
Rules for Recycling
Do not recycle wet or soiled paper
Use a black marker to remove sensitive information instead of shredding the paper
Put shredded paper in a larger box or container
Verify what types of paper your curbside pickup accepts
Flatted boxes
Reduce & Reuse
Below are a few different ways to reuse paper before recycling.
Make recycled paper
Create art
Create a notebook or sketchbook
Use as shipping support
Other Ideas
Print on both sides of the paper to reduce waste
Send a fax with it
Use to create various art projects (i.e. Sculptures, Paintings, Book Arts)
Test print drafts of new projects
Make your own recycled paper
Create a sketchbook or notebook
Use as stuffing for shipping items
Go Eco Friendly
Below are our favorite eco friendly paper companies.
Your classic to-go coffee or soda cup is designed for one-time use, but unfortunately recycling at this point is basically nonexistent in the U.S.That’s because all cups are lined with a thin coating of plastic that can’t be easily separated during the recycling process.The most innovation on paper cup disposal has come in the field of composting, and that is still limited at best. It’s estimated that60 billion paper cups are thrown awayin the U.S.each year. Coffee chains recycleless than 1 percent of their cups internally. If your paper cups are lined with polylactic acid (PLA) instead of polyethylene, they are able to be commercially composted in less than 60 days
Rules for Recycling
Unfortunately, odds are pretty good that you’ll have to throw the paper cup away.However, there is better news for its accessories.
Your best solution is to avoid using paper cups if possible.Many coffee shops will allow you to bring in your own reusable mug.Many fast food restaurants will sell you a large reusable plastic cup that you can refill on a future visit.In some cases, you’ll even receive a discount for reusing a cup.
You can remove the paper sleeve for coffee cups and recycle that with corrugated cardboard.The plastic lid should be recyclable if your local program accepts #1-7 plastics in non-bottle form.The straw or stirrer should be thrown away.
If you have a backyard compost bin and you purchase bio-based paper cups, you can try to compost them.The paper will break down, but you may have difficulty with the plastic lining.
Reduce & Reuse
Below are a few different ways to reuse paper cups before recycling.
Holiday Decorations
Sheer Lamp
Pencil Holder
Plant
Go Eco Friendly
Below are our favorite companies that sell biodegradable & compostable cups. This means when you throw your cup away, it will naturally break down into Earth over time.
Most plastic bags are made from high-density polyethylene (#2 plastic), but the thinner-material bags (such as produce bags) are made from low-density polyethylene (#4 plastic).The recycling collection system is widely available, mostly through collection bins at grocery stores. Plastic bags are among themost common sources of marine debris, where they can be mistaken as food by birds and fish. Plastic bags don’t biodegrade, meaning it will take hundreds of years for them to decompose in a landfill. Recycling a ton of plastic bags (about 450,000 bags)saves 11 barrels of oil. Plastic wrap and film packaging are generally #2 and #4 plastic, both of which are recyclable. Most plastic bags are recycled into composite lumber, but can actually become a wide variety of products. Drop-off locations and curbside pick-up programs for these plastics are available all over the country.
Reduce & Reuse
Below are a few different ways to reuse common household items to use as gift wrap.
Bracelets
Coasters
Decorations
Jump Rope
Other Ideas
Make reusable bags, clutches, etc.
Use as an art canvas for painting
Weave home decor (i.e. baskets, rugs, chairs)
Rules for Recycling
Remove anything inside the bags, such as receipts, stickers, or crumbs.All these items will contaminate your bag load.
Keep a bag collection bin in your house, such as one big garbage bag for all bags.Since they compact easily, you should be able to fit 50 to 100 plastic bags in one garbage bag.
Make sure any bags you are recycling have a #2 or #4 plastic symbol on them.If not, you can’t be sure what plastic resin the bag is made from, so you’ll want to reuse it instead, before eventually throwing it away.
Go Eco Friendly
Below are our favorite companies that sell plastic bag, film, and wrap alternatives.
Most bottles and jugs are #1 plastic (PET) or #2 plastic (HDPE), which are both accepted by most curbside recycling programs. The type of plastic isidentified with a resin ID codeon the bottle.Occasionally you will find bottles made from #3-#7 plastics, such as those made from plants instead of natural gas.These plastics may not be collected in your curbside program. Plastic bottles are among themost common sources of marine debris, where they can be mistaken as food by birds and fish. Plastic bottles don’t biodegrade, meaning it will take hundreds of years for them to decompose in a landfill. In America, we use2.5 million plastic bottles each hour, and they are all designed for one use. Using recycled plastic to make new products saves 66 percent of the energy over using virgin material.
The recycling community has debated for years over what to do with plastic bottle caps.The plastic industry haseven weighed in, trying to set general rules, but every local recycling program has its own preferences. Much of the confusion with caps stems from the fact that they are made of a different plastic resin than the bottle or jug they secure.Most caps are made of polypropylene (#5 plastic), with some (like sports drink bottles) composed of high-density polyethylene (#2 plastic).Plastic bottles and jugs are typically #1 or #2 plastic. A2016 debris removal effortof Midway Atoll, an island with a population of less than 60 in the middle of the Pacific Ocean (1,300 miles from Honolulu, the closest city), found almost 5,000 bottle caps; if not recycled, these caps travel a large distance and pose a danger to marine life because of their small size. Plastic caps don’t biodegrade, meaning it will take hundreds of years for them to decompose in a landfill. In America, we use2.5 million plastic bottles each hour, and every one of them is manufactured with a cap.
Reduce & Reuse
Below are a few different ways to reuse plastic bottles and jugs.
Wall Art
Hanging Garden
Scooper
Bottle Cap Clock
Rules for Recycling
Most recycling programs ask that you rinse your bottles and jugs before recycling.The remnants often contain sugar, which will attract insects and generate odors.
For plastic bottles, you need to ask your local recycling program whether caps are accepted before trying to recycle them with the bottle.Some will ask you to leave them on, some accept caps but want them separated, and some will ask you to throw them away.
For plastic containers (e.g. butter tubs, yogurt cartons), the lid is usually made of the same material as the base.If the container is #5 plastic, odds are strong that the lid is as well.In these cases, feel free to reattach the lid before recycling if your program accepts non-bottle plastics.
If your local recycling program doesn’t accept caps and you know they are made of polypropylene, considerthe Preserve Gimme 5 program, where you can recycle all #5 plastics by mail.
You’ll want to check with your local program whether to keep caps on the bottles, or whether caps are accepted at all.Some programs want the cap on to prevent loose caps from falling out during transportation.Others want the cap off to ensure the bottle is empty and because their recycling machinery may be damaged when trying to crush a capped bottle.
You should be OK leaving the label on the bottle, but it’s unlikely to be recycled since it’s a low-grade quality of paper or plastic.
Go Eco Friendly
Whether you’re craving water, a soda, juice, milk, etc. try to always buy from companies that do not use plastic in their packaging.
The packing peanuts (you may know them as “popcorn”) used to protect shipped materials from damage are made of expanded polystyrene (EPS), which most of us mistakenly confuse with the Dow Chemical Company trademarked name Styrofoam.Unfortunately, you can’t “un-expand” foam plastic, and that limits the recycling market, so reuse or donation are the best options for this material.
Why reuse packing peanuts? Packing peanuts (and other EPS) are among themost common sources of marine debris, where they can be mistaken as food by birds and fish. Packing peanuts don’t biodegrade, meaning it will take hundreds of years for them to decompose in a landfill. Recycled EPS can be used to make everything from new EPS to picture frames and rulers.
Rules for Recycling
Separate packing peanuts from everything else in the shipping box, including the cardboard, any paper instructions, plastic bags and other EPS packaging.These other materials have recycling/reuse markets, but you’re not going to find a recycler that will accept them all together.
Many drop-off sites will only accept white packing peanuts, so you’ll want to separate out any other colors.
Bag up all your packing peanuts in one container, such as a clear plastic bag.
If you have room in your house/apartment, store the packing peanuts for reuse when shipping gifts for the holidays or birthdays.There’s no reason to pay for new packing peanuts if you have an abundance of used ones.
For those looking to dispose of packing peanuts, contact local shipping stores to see if they accept them for reuse.You could also contact schools and churches to see if they can be donated for reuse in art projects.
While there are EPS recyclers inEarth911’s Recycling Searchthat accept peanuts, there are much fewer of these than shipping stores, so recycling should be seen as a secondary option.You’ll want to call and confirm if there’s a minimum quantity accepted for recycling.
If you must throw your packing peanuts in the garbage, keep them contained in one bag so they don’t escape from the garbage truck during transportation and become litter.
Go Eco Friendly
Below are our favorite companies that provide eco friendly packing supplies.
