If you have ever wondered whether something should/could be recycled, you are not alone. While recycling can be a great way to conserve resources, it only works well when people a) understand their local recycling guidelines and b) follow them.
I live in a large condo building and we have a recycling system in place for both paper and plastic/metal containers. Unfortunately, it is very clear whenever I go to empty my bins into our larger dumpsters that the guidelines are not being followed by everyone, which always makes me wonder what happens to our recycling pick up - does it end up in the trash or is the trash sifted out of the mix? While I don’t know the answer for our recycling provider - something I could probably look into - I do know that becoming familiar with your local guidelines and making sure you and your family follow them is a great place to start. You can also make sure you do what you can to eliminate waste altogether from you home - recycled or not. Reduce your need for bags and take-out food or beverage containers by using reusable bags, water bottles and coffee mugs and buy items with less packaging whenever you can.
There are also some fairly common items that you may be surprised to learn are not good candidates for recycling. Earth911.com compiled them in their article What NOT to Put in the Bin. Check out the article and make sure you are not contributing to recycling confusion.
Bottom Line: Get to know your local recycling guidelines and make sure you’re playing by the rules.
I live in a large condo building and we have a recycling system in place for both paper and plastic/metal containers. Unfortunately, it is very clear whenever I go to empty my bins into our larger dumpsters that the guidelines are not being followed by everyone, which always makes me wonder what happens to our recycling pick up - does it end up in the trash or is the trash sifted out of the mix? While I don’t know the answer for our recycling provider - something I could probably look into - I do know that becoming familiar with your local guidelines and making sure you and your family follow them is a great place to start. You can also make sure you do what you can to eliminate waste altogether from you home - recycled or not. Reduce your need for bags and take-out food or beverage containers by using reusable bags, water bottles and coffee mugs and buy items with less packaging whenever you can.
There are also some fairly common items that you may be surprised to learn are not good candidates for recycling. Earth911.com compiled them in their article What NOT to Put in the Bin. Check out the article and make sure you are not contributing to recycling confusion.
Bottom Line: Get to know your local recycling guidelines and make sure you’re playing by the rules.
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