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.
The Consumer Electronics Association expects a smartphone to lastless than five years, and that’s assuming you don’t decide to upgrade every two-three years.
The great news is that cell phones have the highest recycling rate of any electronic devices.The bad news is that in the U.S., we only recycle less than 10 percent of our phones, according to the EPA’s website.The rest may end up in a landfill, or in our desk drawers or garages.
Recycling cell phones is the easiest, as you can trade them in when purchasing a new model, mail them to be recycled, and take them to locations that participate inCall2Recycleor that recycle other types of e-waste.
Rules for Recycling
Do not recycle curbside
Cell phones can be donated to those in need. 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 as a fundraiser.
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. You can try to sell them on eBay or donate to a thrift store, but you’re unlikely to find a recycler. If your new phone is the same size as your old one, consider reusing the case.
If you bought a new phone, make sure to transfer the data from your old phone.The store can often help with this.
Locate the settings screen on your phone and factory reset it so all your data is removed.As an added precaution, you can also remove the SIM card.
If the cell phone battery is removable, you’ll want to take it out.Most cell phone batteries are lithium-ion batteries, whichrequire special transportationfor recycling, so this is especially important if using a manufacturer’s mail-back program.
When it comes to recycling glass, there are two options container glass …and everything else. Treated with chemicals, non-containers are more durable, but this reduces the recycling market for things like windows, mirrors, light bulbs and glassware. On the other hand, glass bottles are frequently used to package other liquids i.e soda, juice, beer, and wine, these are accepted in most curbside recycling programs. Did you know that glass bottles represent the quickest recycled-packaging process, as a bottle can be recycled and back on store shelves within 30 days. Unlike most materials that lose their quality over time, glass can be recycled infinitely without a loss in purity. Although over the past 30 years, glass bottles have dropped in weight by 40 percent, they still represent the heaviest form of packaging to end up in a landfill.
Rules for Recycling
Do your best to not break glass bottles, as there is no market for recycling broken glass and could injure someone
Remove caps and corks
Don’t worry about non-liquids in the bottle, such as a lime wedge in a beer bottle or bits of cork in a wine bottle.
Remove any non-containers from your glass recycling, such as Pyrex, glassware, windows, and mirrors.These glass products can’t be recycled with containers.
For windows and mirrors, you’ll need to find a construction and demolition (C&D) recycler to process the material.These companies don’t want to take one unit (especially if it’s broken), so unless you are a contractor, you’ll likely need to schedule a bulk waste pick-up with your local municipality’s solid waste office for your mirrors and windows.
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.
On January 1st , you’re probably ready dispose of that Christmas tree.If you decided to purchase a real tree, there are plenty of eco-friendly options for disposal.
Most cities will collect trees at the curb for the two weeks following Christmas. This is often the most convenient option making treecycling quite popular
Most cities then chip/shred trees to produce mulch, which is then given free of charge to citizens for their local gardens
Furthermore, christmas trees placed in landfills actually produce methane as they decompose
Rules for Recycling
Remove any ornaments, lights, tinsel or other decorations from the tree, as well as the stand.
Consumers might not create a lot of construction trash, but certain types of wood, brick and carpet that customers use can fall under this section.If you’re planning any home renovation projects, be sure to have a plan for the waste you’ll produce as a by product.And use ourrecycling locatorclick the link below to find out where to recycle construction waste. Known as construction and demolition (C&D) materials, construction waste can be anything from concrete and flooring tiles to plumbing fixtures and doors. Other materials like wood, metal, bricks, and glass also count. Even the trees, stumps, are considered construction trash. Recycled by most builders are the asphalt shingles, which are reformed into a component in hot mix asphalt to create pavement for roadways and streets. The shingles from one average-sized home can pave about 200 feet of a two-lane highway.
Rules for Recycling
Typically, construction waste does not belong in your curbside program because of its size, bulk and weight. Check your local options by using the recycling locator below.
You may end up saving a great deal of time by having an on-site dumpster, rather than driving back and forth to dump your waste.Many companies will not only provide you a container for your scraps, but sort and recycle them for you after pick-up.Waste Management’s Bagsteris one example of a service like this.Ask about the recycling options for your construction waste when you order your dumpster to be sure the company you’re using will work to throw out as little as possible.
Donate cabinets, sinks, mirrors, and other fixtures to local charities that want your usable household items. One example available nationally areHabitat for Humanity ReStores, where proceeds go to fund Habitat for Humanity projects.
Shingles can be diverted from the waste stream and transformed into asphalt pavement for our streets and highways.
Reduce & Reuse
Below are a variety of beautiful ways to create art from construction waste.
Did you know corks are more than souvenirs from upscale dinners, Napa Valley vacations and the occasional wine festival – they are actually a sustainable material from an unlikely source with plenty of possibilities to be recycled and reused.Next time you pop a top on a bottle of white or red, remember these tips for recycling and reuse.
Rules for Recycling
Cork is a 100 percent natural, biodegradable and renewable resource.According toReCork, cork trees are an environmentally sustainable resource.Layers of the tree bark are stripped off (without harming the tree) and turned into various products, most often wine corks.
Not a single tree, each of which can live up to 300 years, is cut down during cork extraction.Instead, bark is harvested by hand every nine to 12 years.
While medications are not recyclable, responsible medication disposal is crucial for human and environmental health. The easiest, and often safest, way to dispose of expired or unwanted mediation is through drug take-back or mail-back programs through pharmacies, government agencies and community groups, which will dispose of medications properly.Find a local take-back or mail-back program using ourrecycling locator. If take-back programs are not an option, most medications can be disposed of in your household trash.SmaRxt Disposal recommends following these steps:
Pour medication into a sealable plastic bag.If the medication is a solid (pill, liquid capsule, etc.), add water to dissolve it.
Add kitty litter, sawdust or coffee grounds (or any material that mixes with the medication and makes it less appealing for pets and children to eat) to the plastic bag.
Seal the plastic bag and put it in the trash.
Remove and destroy all identifying personal information on the prescription label from all medication containers before recycling them or throwing them away.
Responsible medication disposal has changed over the years, so it’s important to follow any disposal instructions on the medication package, which will have the most current recommendations.If there aren’t any, follow the advice above.
Rules for Disposing
Find a take back program in your local community or a pharmacy that will take the medication
Do not flush down the drain
Do not send your medication back to the manufacturer
Medical sharps are a biohazardous waste resulting from self-administering injectable medication, conducting a blood test, or managing a medical condition.Although sharps cannot be recycled, it is important to understand how to handle and dispose of this medical waste safely. Locations and programs that accept used medical sharps for disposal also commonly accept related medical biohazardous waste items that are not actually sharp — such as syringes and tubes — for safe disposal.
Medical Sharp Categories
Needles
Lancets or “fingersticks”
Auto-injectors for drugs such as epinephrine pens (EpiPens)
Insulin auto-injectors
Rules for Disposing
You cannot recycle any medical sharps in curbside bins.
It is illegal to throw out uncontainerized sharps in most states.
For disposal, take your sealed and labeled sharps container to a designated collection site.Hospitals, health departments, police departments, fire stations, and pharmacies are common locations that provide used sharps collection.
If no local collection site is available, municipal household hazardous waste facilities and a variety of mail-back programs accept this type of waste.Manypharmaceutical companiesoffer mail-back programs to patients who use their medicines, often at no additional cost.For a partial list of companies that charge a fee for disposing of used sharps, see theFrequent Medical Sharps Recycling Questionsbelow.
Another option is to destroy needles at home.You can purchase devices that sever, burn, or melt needles, rendering them safe for disposal.TheSANND minifrom Red Hawk Medical products is one device that melts needles and there are manyneedle clipperson the market.
Many pharmaceutical companies offermail-back programsto patients who use their medicines, often at no additional cost.Other companies charge a fee that includes the cost of the FDA-approved sharps container and disposal fees:
So, you’ve cleaned out your closet and ended up with a big bag of clothing (or three) that you don’t like, don’t fit, or simply no longer need.What on earth do you do with it?
The fashion industry is now being counted as one of the world’s biggest polluters, right behind Big Oil, so making sure you dispose of old clothing properly is an important step toward mitigating its environmental effects.
Rules for Recycling
Find a drop-off spot near you for those stained, torn or otherwise unwearable textiles, clothing.
Good-condition clothing can be donated to a thrift store like Value Village, Goodwill or Salvation Army.
Host a clothing swap
Some companies like Patagonia accept their own clothing items back for recycling, while fashion retailers like H&M and American Eagle Outfitters offer in-store clothing recycling bins to collect textiles and accessories of any brand, so recycling your clothing is now as easy as a trip to the mall.
The bathroom is full of recyclable products, but many people overlook this area of the house.A recent study conducted in partnership with the Johnson & Johnson Family of Consumer Companies found that nearly 60 percent of people who said they rarely or never recycle bathroom products reported a lack of awareness as the reason.Read on to improve your bathroom recycling and to learn about the many items in this space — from shampoo and lotion bottles to toilet paper rolls — that can widely be recycled.
Bathroom Product Categories
Plastic Bottles
Paperboard
Plastic Cups
Rigid Plastics
Plastic Film
Flexible Plastics
Rigid Plastics
Rules for Recycling
It helps to get as much shampoo out as possible, but a quick rinse is fine — don’t worry about squeezing out every last drop.
In general, you don’t have to scrape the labels off the bottles in order to recycle them.Use the same practices you would for a water bottle, juice bottle or milk jug.
What about plastic wrap that items like toilet paper are often packaged in? This is usually treated the same way as plastic bags, which are often accepted at major retailers and other drop-off locations, but not in curbside pickups.
Carpets are full of complex fibers that make them impossible to break down in landfills.And, because carpet is made from multiple components with different chemical makeups, it’s tough to recycle properly.In addition to its disposal woes, carpet’s bulkiness burdens the sanitation workers tasked with picking it up. Despite complications, nearly all types of carpet can be recycled.Depending on the fiber, carpet can be broken down and used to make a new product. A lack of infrastructure means carpet recycling procedures are always case by case, depending on what the carpet is made of and where you live.Your personal carpet dealer is a great place to start to find local solutions.Some companies will pick up your carpet, but only if you live close to their facility. CARE (Carpet America Recovery Effort) is a nonprofit organization working to develop the infrastructure needed to recycle carpet efficiently across the U.S.In the meantime, find a carpet recycling facility near you with ourrecycle center locator. Recycled carpet is typically turned back into plastic resin that can be used to make arange of productsfor industries including: automotive, transportation, construction, and home and garden. We suggest these eco friendly alternatives to carpet: hardwood, cork, bamboo, tile, and linoleum.
Rules for Recycling
Technically, carpet can be thrown away in the garbage.However, because it is generally thrown out in such large amounts, it may not be accepted in your curbside trash can.You may need to wait for bulk pick-up days or bring your carpet to a designated drop-off.
While your heart might be in the right place, used carpet cannot typically be donated due to health concerns.If you’re tearing up old flooring, recycling is a better decision.
Many companies that recycle carpet also take carpet padding.Carpet padding is recycled separately from carpet, however, so it’s best to double-check that both are accepted by the program you choose to use to recycle your carpet.
Go Eco Friendly
Below are our favorite companies that provide eco friendly carpet and rugs.
It’s all about choices and doing what’s best for the environment – a goal that’s important for all of us.One area where each of us can make a positive contribution is in the way we purchase, use and dispose of cleaning products.It’s important that you dispose of household cleaners properly.And when the bottles are empty you need to recycle household cleaners bottles properly.
Rules for Recycling
Can I recycle plastic Household cleaner bottles in my curbside recycling? First, check the label to be sure other disposal instructions aren’t specified.Next, check with your curbside recycling guidelines orjump to the recycling locator, to see what type of plastic is accepted.If the plastic type is accepted, be sure to empty any unused product prior to recycling.
Should I pour leftover cleaner down the drain? Most household cleaning products are designed to go down the drain as part of normal usage.However, be sure to check the label to see if directions are provided. If there are no directions, think about how you use the product.If it mixes with water, it’s water-soluble.Most liquid, gel and powder water-soluble household cleaning products can be disposed of down the drain with running water – just like when you use them. Most solid products (soap scouring pads, sticks, towelettes, etc.)can be placed in the trash.For other products such as oven cleaners, crystal drain openers and furniture polishes, call or write the manufacturer for disposal recommendations, or check with your local waste disposal facility.
Go Eco Friendly
Below are our favorite companies that provide eco friendly cleaners.
We use cooking oil to prepare everything from Thanksgiving turkey to sauteed vegetables to salad dressing.But considering it poses havoc to drains and our sewage pipes, you want to avoid pouring it down the drain.
If you pour greasy oil down the drain, it will solidify and eventually block your pipes or cause damage to your city’s sanitation pipes
Cooking oil can be refined into biofuel that burns clean in most diesel engines
If you own/work at a restaurant or have access to a large amount of cooking oil, you can get paid by commercial oil recyclers for the product
Rules for Recycling
There are a handful of curbside programs in the U.S. that accept cooking oil at the curb, but you’ll have to call for a special collection. If your community accepts used cooking oil, make sure you are putting it in an approved container. If your community doesn’t accept oil at the curb, there’s likely a drop-off spot or special collection set up between Thanksgiving and New Year’s to accommodate the extra cooking during the holidays.
Do not add to your compost pile
Designate a container in your house for used cooking oil.Metal coffee cans or plastic butter containers work great, but make sure it’s labeled so no one accidentally drinks it.You don’t need to keep it refrigerated unless you want to reuse it.
Keep filling the container with new oil each time you cook.Don’t worry about draining any fats or combining different types of oil, but try to remove any large pieces of meat or produce.
Use ourRecycling Locatorto see if there is a recycling location for cooking oil in your area.They may only be available during the holiday season.
If no option exists, call your local fire department to see if used oil is accepted.
If recycling is not available in your community, seal your cooking oil container and dispose in the garbage.
Any cook worth his or her salt uses and abuses cookware for the most delicious of causes – but what happens to pots, pans, spatulas and whisks when they’re all used up?
Rules for Recycling
Non-stick components often play a role in your cookware’s future recyclability.However,there are many options to explore, ranging from your curbside program to local scrapyards or mail-back programs.
Cookware can be donated if it is still in safe, working order. However, if your pots and pans have become unsuitable, it can certainly beresold at a scrapyard. You’ll need to know whether or not your pots and pans are made from ferrous or non-ferrous metal.For example, commonly used metals include aluminum, copper and stainless steel, all of which are non-ferrous.Some metal recyclers may only want one type of metal, so do your research or call ahead.
Go Eco Friendly
Below are our favorite eco friendly cookware companies.
Household furniture comes in all forms, from metal and plastic to wood and fabric.While this gives plenty of options for interior decorators, it also complicates the disposal process.As a rule of thumb, your best bet for old furniture is to repair if possible, donate if available, and recycle as bulk waste as a last resort.
Rules for Recycling
It definitely won’t fit in your recycling bin, but most bigger cities offer bulk waste collection programs to pick up large items from the curb. If you call your city’s solid waste office and explain what you have, a representative will tell you if it can be collected at the curb.
Make sure your furniture is free of all personal items. If it’s a dresser or desk, empty the drawers.For couches and chairs, remove the cushions and check for loose change or receipts.
Determine the base material of your furniture.Patio furniture is usually made of metal, whereas desks and tables are often wood or synthetic wood.Couches and chairs are typically upholstered in linen, cotton or leather.
For furniture that is mostly metal, you’ll want to contact a scrap metal dealer to see if it can be picked up for recycling.
For all other forms of furniture, call a local secondhand store to see if your product can be donated.Even if your furniture needs repair, many stores will perform these functions and resell your items. You can also list your furniture on sites like Craigslist or Freecycle, or sell it at a garage sale.Don’t donate or sell furniture if it’s come into contact with bedbugs or lice, though.
If no stores will pick up your furniture and you can’t haul it to a recycler, ask your community if it provides bulk waste collection.Most cities specify bulk waste pick-up for large items like furniture, appliances and/or electronics at least once per year, but you’ll need to schedule collection.
Go Eco Friendly
Below are our favorite eco friendly cookware companies.
Please refer to epa.gov for a full list of items that contain mercury. Many household products contain mercury, from CFLs to button batteries to some thermometers.While mercury isn’t recyclable, many of these products are.You will likely have to utilize your local household hazardous waste (HHW) facility or events to properly dispose of and recycle items containing mercury. Some states do have laws against throwing mercury-containing products in the trash, so be sure to check your local laws before disposing of these products. Many cities and towns host household hazardous waste collection events for the recycling of these items. Mercury exists in three chemical forms, the most common of which is methylmercury, which people are exposed to by consuming fish. Methylmercury can impair neurological development in fetuses, infants and children. Other forms of mercury can cause damage to the lungs, gastrointestinal tract, kidneys and nervous system.. A mercury spill can release toxic vapor into the air, which is a health hazard.
Rules for Recycling
Do not throw away or recycle mercury
Some manufacturers and retailers do offer take-back programs for mercury-containing items.
Consumer paint comes in primarily two forms: latex (or water-based) and alkyd (or oil-based).It’s important to know which type you have because the disposal options are different for each. Water-based paint is the most commonly accepted product at household hazardous waste events nationwide, even though the EPA doesn’t consider it to be hazardous waste.Most hazardous waste is incinerated instead of recycled. New water-based paint can be made from recycled paint, or mixed together to create new colors used for projects like graffiti removal. Using 1 gallon of recycled paint instead of new paintsaves 100 kilowatt-hours of energyand keeps 115 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the air.
Rules for Recycling
Many bigger cities will accept empty paint cans for recycling because they are made of steel, but you’ll have to remove the lid to ensure there’s no remaining paint. Some cities specifically exclude paint cans, so you’ll want to check locally.
The first step to paint recycling is proper storage.If you have an open can of paint, make sure to keep it covered so the paint doesn’t dry up.You can also wrap the lid in plastic to provide an additional seal.Store it in a cool, dry place between uses.
If you have no more use for half-empty paint cans, see if you can donate them first.Many school drama clubs, community theaters and other nonprofits will accept used paint.
If reuse is not an option, then it’s time to find a recycler.Here’s where the story differs based on the type of paint you have:
Oil-based paint can’t be recycled, which means you’ll need to use a household hazardous waste (HHW) program.If your community doesn’t offer HHW collection, you’ll want to dry out the paint using kitty litter and/or newspaper and throw it in the trash.
For water-based paint, recycling may be an option where you live by taking it to a transfer station.In many cities, latex paint is excluded from HHW collection and special collection events or programs are available.
Go Eco Friendly
Below are our favorite companies that provide eco friendly paint.
Pesticides themselves can never be recycled.Though pesticide containers can be recycled, these containers also need to undergo special treatment and cannot simply be tossed into your curbside bin. Pesticide containers should not be reused, according to the EPA. Pesticide containers may be able to be recycled, depending on location and specifications of local recyclers and the material designation listed on the container. Most pesticides have an indicated shelf-life of at least two years from the time of manufacture, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, but may still be usable long after the indicated shelf-life has expired. Pesticides poured down the sink, into the toilet or down a sewer or street drain may interfere with the operation of wastewater treatment systems or pollute waterways.
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.
