Recycling is a great way to help conserve natural resources and improve the environment. from place to place, General recycling rules are similar, but each community has its own specifics on when you can recycle.
Ask your local recycling center or waste management provider what can be recycled in your neighborhood.
Here are the most common types of recyclable materials to check for in your neighborhood.
paper
If you can tear paper, it’s generally safe to recycle. The only exceptions to this are paper or cardboard that is wet or dirty with food – so pizza boxes are not stained with grease.
Newspapers, loose papers, old greeting cards, envelopes and even old phone books are easy to recycle in curbside or neighborhood bins. Some paper can be recycled up to 10 times and then processed into toilet paper or paper towels.
Glass
Glass is one of the heaviest materials to recycle and can be difficult to transport because it breaks so easily. It’s also hard to isolate in a facility, so many places don’t accept it. Check with your local recycling providers to find out how to recycle glass in your area.
If your provider accepts it, keep in mind that any glass made to withstand high heat (eg baking dishes) cannot be recycled as it cannot be broken, so don’t bother with it.
Plastic
Most people think that if it’s plastic, it’s recyclable, but it’s not. Plastic products will have a triangle of arrows with a number inside the triangle somewhere on the bottle. This will tell you what the plastic is made of and if it is recyclable. If you see a 3 or 5, for example, you’re probably out of luck. The composition of that type of plastic makes it impossible to break for most facilities.
And plastic bags (like the ones you get at the grocery store) are often not accepted in curbside containers, so bag them up and take them to the grocery store for mass recycling.
Metals
Almost anything made of aluminum, brass, bronze, copper, steel or tin can be recycled, often multiple times. Food and beverage cans, clean aluminum foil, disposable bakeware items and the foil tops from your yogurt can all be recycled in your curbside bin.
But don’t be so quick to throw all your metal in the trash – see if you can scrap it for cash. Items such as pots and pans, wire hangers or appliances made of metal can be recycled. Things just have to be Made up of 50 percent metal Will be accepted, so think about the makeup of all your products. And, of course, check with your local scrap yard before you haul your heavy metals there.
