It’s Great to Recycle – But You’ve Got to Do It Right! Sort Your Recycling into Different Bins – Here’s Why
This is a Guest Post from Growing City
Recycling has been around for generations – humans have always known that it makes sense to re-use as much as you can and re-purpose the rest. The act of recycling is our modern way of re-use as well as one of the ways we help the planet.
Centuries ago humans would reuse and re-purpose unwanted goods due to limited supply and scarcity, but today it’s mainly done with the intention of minimizing landfill waste. By recycling, you make the Earth more clean and safe for everyone to live in.
But it can be a bit confusing to know what can be recycled and what can’t. Especially since that changes depending where you live and the recycling rules in your area.
The detailed list below tells you what to separate into different recycling groups before putting them outside for your local waste disposal company to collect. It covers the most commonly accepted recyclable materials.
Sort Your Recycling #1 – General Household Waste
This is your primary garbage can that holds all of your weekly waste that isn’t recyclable. This will likely include items like spoiled or leftover food, cleaning supplies that you no longer use, construction material that is leftover from renovations, bio-waste like feces, and other items that won’t fall into one of the categories mentioned below.
When it comes to food though, it’s even better to compost it! Composting is a form of recycling that allows bio-degradable foods to return to the earth instead of continuing to pollute the dump. The majority of your garbage will go to the dump, but the bits you can save to be composted add up over time to reduce waste. And compost can make great fertilizer for gardens too!
Once this general-purpose waste is picked up by your local team of sanitation workers, it will be taken to one of two places. Your trash will either end up at the local landfill, or it may be taken to an energy recovery facility (ERF), where it is incinerated, and the steam or heat energy is then used to power large turbines that generate electricity that is then sold to the local power grid.
Slash your stress!
Join this fun 5-day challenge – see how 5 super simple Yoga stretches can help you de-stress. It’s FREE!
Sort Your Recycling #2 – Paper & Paper Products
Paper is one of the most common recyclable items in the world. While many businesses and families opt to go paperless by using email and paperless billing, the need for paper still remains strong today. Luckily, just about every paper product is recyclable, and many companies that still use paper choose to recycle.
Paper products include things like cardstock paper, paper drinking cups, paper towels, ice cream containers, newspapers and magazines, and so on. This means a huge range of what is used every day can, and should, be recycled.
Paper will be picked up by your recycling waste company and dispatched to a paper mill to be shredded. The paper mill will then magically turn it back into paper that will later be sold to make newspapers and magazines, tissues, napkins, toilet paper, gift cards, and virtually any other paper product type imaginable.
Sort Your Recycling #3 – Corrugated Cardboard
Cardboard is often thought of as being similar to paper, because both products are originally produced from cut-down trees. So why not group them together during recycling, right?
Well, in the recycling world, the two should always be sorted into two different piles of recyclable waste and there’s a reason behind that.
Unlike paper and paper products that are sent to the paper mill, cardboard is sent to a factory that will either
- breakdown the cardboard into smaller pieces to create new sheets of cardboard, or
- re-purpose the original box into something like cardboard packaging – for example for use in shipping other products across the world.
Before placing your cardboard curb-side, it is recommended that you break it down by undoing the corners on four sides that are typically held up with glue. You won’t need a knife for this so anyone in your household can do that.
Sort Your Recycling #4 – Tin Cans
Tin cans are used to store food for a long time without spoiling. They need to be sorted separately because they are sent to a local metalworking company that will melt them down. From there, the thin sheets of tin metal can be stamped to create anything from new tin cans to paperclips, and even coat hangers.
Sort Your Recycling #5 – Aluminum Cans
Thought aluminum cans are the same as tin cans? Think again! Often used to store soda and beer, aluminum cans are sent to a local factory to become new drinking cans once more.
Sort Your Recycling #6 – Plastic Bottles
Plastic bottles are the second-most recycled waste item after paper. Used to store drinking water or soda, they are all too common.
Recycled plastic bottles can be broken down to create virtually any product that contains plastic within it. Examples are garden furniture, road signs, and even fleece jackets.
Key takeaways
Recycling is as important for the environment as it is for the economy. When you and your family recycle, you need to sort the wasted material into separate piles before your weekly trash pick-up day.
Please Share this post – it’s easy – sharing buttons below and right!
What do you think? Let me know in the comments below.
Warm regards,
P.S. Don’t forget to join the 5-day Yoga to De-Stress Challenge – it’s fun! You’ll be glad you did. Click here to join – it’s FREE!
