Recycling Tips
I have written in the past about the virtues of recycling in the past, but I have yet to devote a whole article to it...until now! Recycling is one of the most important things you can do to conserve our resources, and frankly, one of the easiest. This is also a great way to get kids involved in taking care of the environment, since they will be the future stewards of our planet. Here are some tips to get started
- Buy several sturdy plastic bins or trash cans, and label them accordingly (paper, plastic, glass, cans, ect). This will help keep you organized and let other family members and guests know where the recycled materials go.
- When at the recycling center, newspapers should be separated from other paper items. Old newspapers are recycled into new newspapers, and with the amount of ink on them, it only makes sense. Keep cardboard separate from the rest of the paper as well, as it goes through an entirely different process. Keep glossy magazines, inserts, and anything that is waxy separate from everything else, as it also goes through a special recycling process.
- As you may already know, plastics come in many recyclable forms. Some centers require that you separate them by number, others do not. Do as your recycling center indicates that you do.
- Be sure to rinse out any plastics and glass that you intend to recycle. It will make the job of the recycling center easier, and if your recycled materials sit in your house for an extended period of time, rinsing will prevent them from becoming smelly.
- Glass bottles come in three colors; clear, green, and brown. These need to be separated when you get to the recycling center and all paper labels need to be removed. Check with your recycling center for other types of glass such as mirrors, Pyrex, sheet glass (from windows) and other glass products.
- Do your change your own oil in your car? A great way to get rid of the used oil is to take it to any place that changes oil. Many of these places have an oil-burning furnace, and they use the oil to heat their shops. Not only does it keep their overhead down (and ultimately our repair bills), it keeps the oil out of the ground (and won't pollute the water supply!).
- With perishable materials (food), you can make a compost pile out of them. To learn how to do this, see my March 2009 GToM article on how to create your own compost pile!
- If you have old iron laying around your place, go recycle it! The prices of what salvage yards pay for scrap iron varies widely depending on demand, but you will put a little extra green in your pocket regardless. Plus, you will be keeping manufacturers costs down, not to mention cleaning up your own property.
