Teach Your Family to Save the World

Things You Need To Understand About Curbside Recycling

Recycling is important for a number of reasons. It reduces the amount of trash going into landfills our being shipped into the oceans. It also saves on fuel needed to create new items when the older ones are just thrown away. When paper or metal is recycled, there is no need to cut down as many trees or mine the metals from the ground. This saves on natural resources so there will be more for the future. As more and more municipalities are offering curbside recycling, it is important that you understand what you can put in the bins and how to use them properly.

Bins

Some companies will leave different colored bins for you to separate the different items while others may leave a single bin and then separate the contents at the recycling plant. If you have separate bins, be sure to take the time to separate your trash. You may want to have multiple trash cans inside, in each room, to avoid having to dump everything and go through it. It will be important for you to teach everyone in the house where the different types of trash go. There should not be more than three different types, paper, plastic, and metal that you need to separate out.

Recyclables

While there are many things that can be recycled, it is beyond the scope of curbside recycling to handle everything. In most cases, you will be asked to recycle plastic, paper, and metals. However, not all plastic is the same. You should contact the trash company to ask what types of plastic you can put in the recycle bin. Many companies do not want things like plastic wrap or baggies in the bin. You can also check the plastic, look for a recycle arrow triangle on the product. There should be a number in the triangle, ask the company what numbers they use. 

Hazardous

Your home has many hazardous products in it. While these items should be separated from your normal trash, they are not recyclable as far as curbside recycling goes. Items like batteries, paint cans, light bulbs, aerosol cans, and electronic equipment may be recycled but you would need to arrange for them to be picked up separately or take them to the plant yourself. 

Regardless of how you feel about it, if your city has curbside recycling, it is your duty to follow through with it. You may be fined if you don't. Of course, you do want to do all you can to help the cause and make the world a better place so this is a simple way to get involved. For more information, reach out to companies like Industrial Services Inc.