While the reality is a little harder than what we try to sell our children, these three basic words are a great place to start. And, as we teach our children every Earth Day, every little bit helps. :)
Let's start with recycle, as I believe this is the easiest of the three to implement. Most, if not all, municipalities have recycling facilities. You may have to do a little research though, as not all cities have nice shiny facilities on display. Ours is in a shed behind a shed on a hidden back street. Even though it doesn't look pretty, they have receptacles for tons of recyclable products!
The recycling bins in our garage, waiting to be emptied.
If you are a looking for a way to jump start your greeness, try recycling. I recommend starting with paper and plastic.
Step One: Paper is very easy. Even if you don't find a general recycling facility, many schools and non-profit organizations have big green bins in their parking lots. In addition to recycling paper, you will be supporting your local schools and/or organizations. All paper can be recycled. In addition light cardboard, such as cereal boxes can also be put in these bins.
Step Two: I recommend plastics as your second step because soooo many items we use are plastic. Find out which types of plastic your local facilities accept. There are many different types of plastic and you don't want to waste time and space collecting items that you can not recycle. Most places will accept plastics 1 and 2. Here is a handy guide to the different types of plastic.Step Three: Once you have a good system for recycling paper and plastic in place, start branching out (assuming you have local facilities for other items). Glass, aluminum cans, tin cans, and many other types of metal can also be recycled. In addition, a recycling center will most likely have a place for corrugated cardboard as well (the thick kind used in boxes).
I hope this little guide helps you jump start your home recycling program. If you are a seasoned recycler, feel free to pass on your advice as well. Next time we will look at the other two words in the mantra: reduce and reuse. Until then...
Enjoy your tiptoe through the tulips!
We are very fortunate to have a recycling "center" (bins near the railroad tracks, LOL) here in such a small town. We are able to recycle cardboard, clear glass, type 1 plastic, tin, and aluminum. Even being limited to recycling those few types of products has reduced our waste dramatically.
ReplyDeleteI have found some products have mixed types of materials in them, some of which are not easily recyclable (ex: box of pasta with sheet of plastic in the middle to show the product). I try to remove the items that can't be recycled so that what remains is an item our local recycling center accepts.
Great blog. :)
So true Brandie. Just today I wanted to recycle a can, only to discover it was actually a cardboard tube with metal top and bottom. The top and bottom didn't come off easily, so...I threw it away. I felt really guilty afterward though :(
ReplyDeleteMy father actually taught me to tear out the plastic windows in things such as pasta and kleenex boxes. He was very meticulous about separating materials for recycling.
Also, do you know if the plastic sacks, such as the ones that hold cereal inside the box are recyclable?