20 RECYCLING TIPS FOR EFFECTIVE RECYCLING AT HOME
People all over the globe are eco-conscious and make recycling an integral part of their lives. We all use a lot of plastic bottles, cans, and other packagings every week. These items can be reused by following our recycling tips.
Recycling is a simple way to help reduce pollution, climate change, and waste. The best part about following our recycling tips is using local facilities to ensure maximum recycling. You can even recycle your waste at home! This is called curbside recycling. You simply need to place the items in the correct recycle bin, and voila, you are recycling.
Some many guidelines and rules can be followed to ensure curbside recycling is a success. Some items might make it through, while others may not. The recycling rules vary from one place to the next. What works for curbside service might not work in another. These mistakes could mean your entire recycling bin ends up at the landfill.
#1- No bagging
Bagged recyclables go straight into the landfill. You don’t have to go to the recycling bin every time you empty a recyclable item. Instead, you can use a tub or basket to collect the items and then take them to your bin when ready. This is a smart way to save time and avoid throwing away those bags.
#2 – No food residue
Keep oil, grease, and other food scraps from your recycling bins. As long as the food containers are not contaminated with oil or grease, you can recycle them. Although specks of food can be accepted, an oil-soaked pizza container will attract pests and ants to your bin. It is not recyclable. The reason is that the oil in the box won’t mix with the water-based solution at the recycling company.
Before you throw away your peanut butter jars, rinse them to remove any residue.
#3 – Compress
Flatten recyclable materials as flat as possible. This will make it easier to place other items in your recycling bin. To make soda cans and plastic bottles flat, crush them. Flatten cardboard boxes and tear apart paper towel tubes.
#4 – Avoid the ‘tanglers.
For curbside recycling, lightweight items such as a plastic wrap, bags, bubble wrap, and wrapping paper are unacceptable. Because the fragile plastics can get caught up with other parts of the equipment, this causes damage. Recycling centers are slower if they have to remove and fix the equipment.
Your local recycling company might refuse to accept all types of plastic bags or wrap. However, this does not mean that they cannot be recycled. It is not possible to recycle them at home. There are advanced options available for recycling them.
#5 – No black Plastics
Because black plastics are not able to reflect light, it is difficult for scanners and recycling factories to scan them. Because they are difficult to scan, it is difficult to sort them out in the recycling stream. They can end up contaminating other materials.
Black plastic isn’t a common color, so recycling companies don’t like them. It can be difficult to collect enough black plastic for recycling, and it can prove costly.
For more information on how to replace black plastic bags with eco-friendly alternatives, see our guide for biodegradable garbage bags.
#6 – Clean and dry but empty
Keep your recyclables clean from moisture, food waste, and other contaminants. You should rinse all recyclables, except paper, to get rid of any residue that could be contaminants. You should rinse out aluminum cans, glass bottles, and food containers. Allow them to dry before placing them in the trash. Make sure your paper products are also dry before you put them in the bin. This will ensure that your bin isn’t stale and pests are not attracted to your home.
#7 – Don’t wish-cycling
It is not a good practice to throw prohibited items into your curbside recycling bin in the hope that they will be recycled. This is a bad recycling habit that will not only be against the local recycling guidelines but also make it difficult for others who must sort it. Wish cycling would not get your entire recycling bin thrown away.
#8 – Donate first
Consider whether or not you can give the item a second life. Do it if you are able. Donating items is an easier way to give them a second chance. It helps products retain their maximum value before they are recycled.
#9 – Recycle food
Methane emissions are caused by organic waste, such as food. 24.1% of landfills contain food waste. Be open to other options, even though you know that food waste cannot be recycled.
Instead of throwing it away, make compost out of it. It can be used in your garden or to make additional income when you sell it to gardeners. You can also hire a compost service to collect your food and soiled papers if you don’t have the necessary facilities.
#10 – Label your bins
You should have separate bins for each category of recyclables. You can ensure that the bins are not mixed up by labeling them. Then, you will be able to separate the combined materials into the appropriate bins. Stickers and hand-drawn images are also options. To differentiate bins, you can use a color code. Even first-time guests can easily identify where the bins belong by labeling them.
#11 – Education your family
There are few things more frustrating than having your efforts go to waste because someone else didn’t know better. Talk to your neighbors about recycling correctly to ensure your efforts don’t go stale. This will ensure that no one makes the error of contaminating the recycling bin. To help you reduce the number of unnecessary items, you can also conduct a waste audit.
#12 – Accessible recycling containers
Your recycling bin or bins should be placed in an area where everyone can easily access them. You can also place the bin in the same spot as the trash can or make a reminder to remind people to recycle as often as they can.
#13 – Make use of special recycling programs
You shouldn’t be discouraged by items that aren’t recyclable at the curb. A quick internet search or phone call to your local recycling office may help you find a recycling center that is dedicated to those items.
A recycling program may be available at your local grocery store to recycle single-use plastic bags. Clothing and other items can be recycled by special companies.
#14 – Size is everything
You should not recycle anything less than a credit card. Small parts can become stuck in machinery that is being recycled, and this could lead to damage. This could also lead to injury for workers.
Recycling tips for glass and plastic
#15 – Use resin codes
You will find the resin codes on different types of plastic waste products. They tell you which type of plastic the product was made from. The numbers 1,2, 5, and 6 can be recycled easily and should go in your recycling bin.
Water bottles, shampoo containers, and caps are all acceptable plastic recyclables. Squeeze bottles, coffee cups, styrofoam plates, and straws all belong in the trash as they are not recyclable. Plastic bags and films are also not recyclable due to their lightweight.
You can send compostable plastics to industrial composting or just throw them in the trash. They will eventually be recycled faster than non-biodegradable plastics.
#16 – Only glass bottles
Broken glass, mirrors, glass for drinking, windows, and other glass are not recyclable and could be considered hazardous household waste. These items have a melting temperature that is higher than regular glass. Your glass bottles and jars can be recycled curbside.
Recycling tips for cardboard and paper
#17 – No waxed card
They make milk cartons and juice from waxed paper. They covered the cardboard with plastic to stop the liquid from getting into the cardboard. They cannot reuse the wax portion of the carton as paper. However, they cannot recycle the wax part of the carton as paper.
Although there are recycling centers that accept waxed cardboard, they aren’t always available.
#18 – Keep it dry
Wet paper can cause the entire contents of the bin to be destroyed. It will quickly decay and contaminate other items. It can cause discoloration or mold growth, which will make recycling difficult or impossible.
#19 – Don’t shred
Don’t shred paper before you recycle. Shredded paper is not preferred by paper mills because it has shorter fibers which reduce its value. Shredded paper can be difficult to sort out and takes a lot of time. You will need to find paper mills that specialize in recycling shredded paper.
#20 – No strong colors
Recycling is difficult because of the strong dyes that give brightly colored papers their distinctive feature. The dyes will seep into the mixture, ruining the mixture, so they cannot mix colored paper with the slurry.
Conclusion
Recycling is an important tool for managing waste and conserving resources. Recycling can be fun and rewarding if done correctly. These tips will help you recycle more efficiently and correctly.
