Why: Think of recycling as an opposite – it is the opposite of trash. It is the opposite of a landfill. Doesn’t that sound appealing? Recycling collects and processes items that would end up going to these places.
- Allows items that would be thrown away, to be reused, or turned into something else
- Saves the environment
- Preserves energy
- Creates jobs
- Conserves raw material
- Reduces the amount of garbage that is sent to landfills, preventing their increase in size
How to Recycle:
1. Make the choice to recycle. With every item you come into contact with, decide if it can be recycled.
2. Educate yourself on what can be recycled. Such as:
paper, magazines, newspapers, cereal boxes, milk cartons, glass, glass drinking bottles,tin, aerosol cans, pop cans, foil, plastic, and plastic bags, just to name a few.
- On the Real Simple website, there is an article called “How to Recycle Anything”. If you question whether something is recyclable or not, check out this website. If you wonder where to recycle something, check out this website.
3. Educate yourself on what cannot be recycled. Always check with your recycling center when you question an item. When you sign up for recycling (if picked up at your home), they should give you information on what can and cannot be recycled.
4. Set up a recycling center in your home. There are many ways you can do this – recycling does take time and it does take up space, but it is worth it. Some places want it sorted, some do not. If you have to take it to a recycling center, it may be worth it to separate it ahead of time. Here are some suggestions:
- Laundry baskets set on the floor or in a closet
- Rubbermaids with paper bags set inside to divide the different types
- Garbage can under the sink, except designate it as a recycling bin
- Bin in the garage
5. Wash items that you are going to recycle
6. Purchase recycled items. Consider buying things second hand. Goodwill, Salvation Army, thrift stores, Habitat for Humanity Restore. These are all places that “recycle” items so that you can reuse and repurpose them. Products in stores often have a label designating it as an item that was made using recycled material. Think about supporting such products.
7. Be conscious of recycling. When purchasing items, think about what you can and will do with the item after you are done with it. Is it recyclable? Is there a place that can find a different purpose for it?
Confession of the Day: We do not have a recycling truck that comes to our house – we need to organize it by type and then every Saturday morning, we can bring it to the recycling shed in town. I have learned to appreciate what recycling can do. When I walk into the shed and see how much recycling is in there, I am so thankful that others too, recycle. If all of those items went to the landfill every week, it would be depressing. Making the choice to recycle goes far beyond what we see. I enjoy recycling – trust me, it is MUCH easier to just throw something in the garbage when I am done with it; although, learning about recycling, I can’t help but see all the benefits of it. My hope is that if you do not currently recycle, that you will consider it. Living with less for me, meanss taking care of the environment that I am in. I may sound like all I do is recycle – far from that. What I do appreciate, is creation – knowing that I am to be a good steward of what I have and what I live in, I can’t help but choose to recycle.
What do you appreciate most about recycling?