With
so many people embracing an eco-friendly environment at home, work and life,
recycling is now widely practised but it comes with some complications. Either
a bottle or a can, you have probably recycled something today. Recycling is
helpful as you are giving items a second chance to be useful but did you know
you might be doing it wrong? Curbside Waste Inc, a waste management
company, provides tips to the correct ways of getting your items recycled. Next
time you are recycling, let's make sure we all do it right.
Here
are some recycling tips from Curbside Waste MN to follow and make a difference
to ensure your recycling process is efficient. Although each state and city has
its own specific guidelines, these tips will ensure the right items make it to
the recycle bin.
Make
Recycle Bins Available
- Get Containers for Recycling
Making sure recycle
bins for items are readily available will make recycling a convenient one.
Either in your home or office, make sure there are different bins for where
trash and recycling items go.
- Label the Containers or Bins
Label your bin
correctly to make it easy for everyone to put the right items in the right
bins. For paper, plastic, cardboard and any other items, place a standardized label
on each bin. If there are any guidelines or instructions to follow, adhere to
it.
Recycle
Correctly
Plastic
Bags
Never
put plastic bags in the recyclable bins and don’t put recyclable items inside
plastic bags. If the need arises for plastic bags, empty those items into the
recycle bin or cart directly. Plastic bags have an adverse effect on the
recycling plants making the whole recycling process more difficult. Reuse
plastic bags or avoid usage altogether. If you must use them look out for recycling
programs in your municipalities that are focused exclusively on them.
Disposable
Utensils
If
your recycling centers accept plastic, that doesn’t mean any type of plastic is
acceptable. Generally, all plastic should be made of resin, which is fine for
recycling, however, majority are made of polystyrene. Like styrofoam which is
in its expanded form. Styrofoam gets contaminated easily and can be a problem
for recycling. Plus, it has a lesser market for recycling than other plastics.
Other disposables such as plastic utensils like plates, forks and also foil
should not be put in the recycling dumpster. It is very hard to determine the
type of plastic or other materials they are made of, therefore, they are best
left out. Except otherwise stated by your recycling centers, a good rule of
thumb is to never put styrofoam, plastic utensils and foil in the recycling
bin.
Pizza
Box
No,
pizza box cardboard cannot be recycled except if it is clean. As much as the
pizza boxes are already indicated that they are recyclable, the problem still
lies with the grease and oil. The oil, accumulated cheese and grease render it
recycling-useless. The option you have is to either include it in your food
waste compost or throw it in the trash bin and let it find its way to the
landfill.
Empty
Bottles Before Recycling
Empty
signs of food or liquid out of jars, bottles and containers before recycling.
Pour out any liquid or wipe out any food before putting those items into the
recycling bins. There is no need to wash them just ensure there is nothing left
inside.
Juice
Boxes/Juice Pouches
Most
juice/ milk boxes are still not recyclable. Why? Most of theses pouches or
boxes are made of multi-layered packaging. This makes it difficult to separate
the layers of metal and plastic molded together. Some contain aluminum foil
which is quite difficult to remove and they end up being thrown in the
landfill. “Confirm if the recycling waste programs include juice pouches as
some have hydro-pulper that can get the separation done with ease. If not,
throw juice boxes in the trash bin.” suggests Curbside Waste Inc.
Glass
Some
of the recycling communities have started rejecting glass jars and bottles.
Before putting glass jars or bottles into the recycle bin, verify if your city
is accepting glass. Never put window glass, light bulbs or mirrors in the
recycling bins except otherwise stated by your recycling center. This is
because these glasses have some degree of chemical which makes them unsuitable
for recycling.
Batteries,
TV Remotes
Don’t
just throw your old TV remotes or used batteries away, take them to recycling
centers that are specifically for these items. Curbside Waste Inc suggests
recycling safely and always call your service provider with questions.
