Recycling 101

I've had a few requests to cover recycling basics.  So I am happy to share this riveting essay on the ins and outs of recycling: why, what, how & where.  If you’re already a recycling fiend, then good job!  If you are not, there’s no better time to start than this week!

Why? It’s always difficult to begin a new habit.  The young kids I worked with in a local school district were already familiar with recycling and many did it at home.  It was easy breezy to teach them about recycling and to build on their existing habits.  Unfortunately for many adults, recycling has not been part of our lives until recently.  As the world moves forward, there is only so much space available for trash.  We have become disconnected from the consequences of our consumption, as in what it takes to make what we buy and what happens when we’re done with it.  If items aren’t recycled, then new “stuff” must be created from earth’s resources.

I met a woman who refused to recycle because, in her words, “The recycling company is making money off of me, so I’m not recycling”.  Wow.

So really, why should we recycle?

1. The earth is kinda running out of landfill space...and do we really want more?
2. Recycling, more often than not, saves existing resources.
3. Recycling items can save money.
4. Recycling is efficiency and responsibility all in one.

 So you’ve thought about it & you’re on board to get started.  Now what? 

1. Form a plan: where you’ll keep your recyclables (a bin in the pantry, in the garage).
2. Will you sign up for pick up (or have it in your city already) or take them to a pick up site?
3. Have a family meeting & celebrate being an B.A.B.E!

What? A quick peek of what we can recycle in general, everywhere in the U.S.:

• Newspaper
• Cardboard (no greasy pizza boxes)
• Magazines
• Plastic (#1-3)
• Glass
• Aluminum
• Steel
• Paper

.  Here is what cannot be recycled:

• Lids of anything and butter tubs…it has to do with the type of plastic they are made of; we won’t bore you with the process J
• Greasy pizza boxes…because they are greasy and the paper content is degraded.
• Ziplocs
• Milk & juice containers with a bunch of juice left in them.  This attracts pests to the recycling site, makes a mess & contaminates.  Give these items a quick rinse & be done.
• Any food or organic matter.
• Aluminum foil with last night’s BBQ sauce all over it
• Toilet paper, tissues, paper towels.  And for the record, recycled toilet paper means it was made out of recycled paper, not used toilet paper.  Really?
• Styrofoam and packing materials
• Window glass & mirrors
• Gift wrap, apparently¸ is of too poor quality of paper to be recycled.  
• Mustard-colored envelopes.  We didn't know this, but the dye in the envelope is too difficult to remove during the recycling process.

As exciting as this article has been to read, all good things must come to an end.  We’ve told you what you can & can’t recycle and some ideas of how to get started at home.  We believe that we’re at a point in this country where we should ALL be recycling, whether it’s mandatory in your area or not.  Did you know:

• It takes 80-100 years for an aluminum can to decompose (break down) in a landfill, but recycled, they can be made into soda cans, pie plates, license plates, thumbtacks, aluminum foil, and many other items.
• Glass takes over 1,000,000 (one million) years to decompose in a landfill, but can be recycled into jars, jewelry, bottles, dishes, drinking glasses, coffee mugs and many other items.
• It can take up to 700 years for plastic to decompose in a landfill, but recycled, PET plastic can be made into clothing, fiberfill for sleeping bags, toys, stuffed animals, rulers and more.

The energy savings aren’t huge for recycling material into new uses, but the raw material savings are priceless.  We often forget that for all the stuff we own, that “stuff” had to be made from something.  Saving our earth’s resources, where possible, only makes sense.  Want a great little informative flick?  www.thestoryofstuff.com

As for TVs, computers, batteries, oil, electronics, paint, appliances and other large or questionable items, log onto your local solid waste authority’s web site & they’ll let you know how & where you should dispose of these items.  Many electronics contain valuable copper and other recyclable parts, but also many other components that are toxic and need to be removed before being thrown out.

I think we’ve covered all the basics.  You now have absolutely no reason to not go out and recycle with enthusiasm! Yahoooo!