Recycling Made Easy

We all know we should do it, many of us do do it, but the question is how many of us are doing it correctly? Of course I'm talking about recycling. Recycling is not rocket science but there are some general guidelines to abide by to be sure what you set out on the curb or drop at your local recycling center is actually being recycled.

Above all, you need to know your recycling categories and then know which categories your recycler of choice accepts:

Paper: Paper is a commonly recycled product; yet paper can be tricky. As a general rule of thumb, most curbside recycling programs and drop-off locations accept paper in the form of office paper, newspaper, magazines, and paperboard (think cereal boxes). Items that may not be accepted include phone books and cardboard. Be sure to check with the recycler you have chosen to obtain their exact guidelines on what paper products are accepted.

In order to ensure your paper products will be recycled, be sure to keep them clean. As crazy as that may sound, paper that has been contaminated by food products, oils, even water may not be suitable for recycling and once one paper product is contaminated, generally the whole batch will be thrown out. By removing any extraneous objects (i.e. staples, tape, plastic liners from paperboard boxes) and storing your paper products separately from your other recycling items you help ensure that your paper makes it through the recycling process.

Glass: With glass recycling, it is all about color. Glass comes in four main color groups: clear, blue, green and brown. All color varieties are able to be recycled; however, some curbside and drop-off recyclers accept only a particular color. The consistency in color aids glass recyclers in reproducing new glass containers from the recycled glass without achieving a mottled look. It is best to contact your recycler to find out exactly what color of glass they will accept.

Unlike paper products, glass products do not need to be clean because of the extreme heat used in the recycling process. However, a quick rinse goes a long way in speeding up the recycling process.

Plastic: With plastic, it is all about the numbers. We've all seen that little "chasing arrows" symbol that represents an item that can be recycled. With plastic products, you will often find a number within the symbol that represents the item's plastic resin code. The numbers range from 1 to 7 and they are what determine if your plastic item will be accepted for recycling. Check with your curbside or drop-off recycler to find out exactly which numbers they accept. If you generally drop your recycling in a drop-off bin, the numbers that are acceptable should be listed on the outside of the bin. If not, call the company that manages the bins to be sure you are dropping off an acceptable number. Depending on the company, too many incorrect numbers in a load may mean none of the items make it to the recycling process.

If you have a plastic product that is not labeled with a number you can go to www.earth911.com/plastic/plastic-101 where you will find a chart devised by the American Chemistry council outlining plastic resin code numbers and their corresponding product applications (for instance yogurt containers are generally a #5 whereas water bottles would be a #1).

As with glass, plastics to be recycled do not need to be completely clean to be recycled.

Steel: Many of us don't think much about recycling steel; however, steel cans are used in abundance in virtually every household. Items ranging from tomato sauce to dog food come packaged in steel cans, most of which once rinsed out are readily acceptable by most curbside and drop-off recyclers. One common mistake when recycling steel cans is lumping them in with your aluminum cans. Steel and aluminum cans go through a completely separate recycling process, so be sure not to dump your steel cans in receptacles meant solely for aluminum cans.

Aluminum: The most commonly recycled item is the aluminum can. Recycling aluminum cans is not only good for the Earth, it can also be profitable as the average aluminum can is worth about one cent. Many schools and non-profit organizations have taken to obtaining their own aluminum can recycling bins in order to raise money for their organization, making aluminum can recycling readily available. The key to correctly recycling aluminum cans is to rinse them clean and crush the can to allow for a greater number of cans per bin.

Of course there are many other materials that can be recycled. But, following these basic guidelines will get you off to a good start and help ensure your recycling efforts pay off in the long run. Please not that recycling guidelines will differ depending upon your location and your curbside or drop-off recycler's specific rules. If you already have a recycling system in place be sure to contact the company to obtain a list of what items are and are not acceptable. If you are unsure where to begin, www.earth911.com offers a recycling location finder that allows you to search by the item you wish to recycle and your zip code.

Source: www.earth911.com