How to Recycle

You can do your part to impact the environment by learning how to recycle. Many items that are discarded can be recycled and used in the manufacturing of new items. These products include plastics, paper and aluminum.

You've seen the familiar recycling symbol, those triangles staring you in the face and begging you not to toss them in the trash. These symbols mean that the product is able to be recycled.http://www.earthodyssey.com/symbols.html Upwards of 30% of goods in the U.S. are recycled (unless you live in Seattle, which hits an average of 44% each year), but it's not always obvious where your nearest recycling center is located.http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/10/us/10recycle.html http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/muncpl/recycle.htm With a little research, you can locate your closest recycling center and learn how many of the items you own can be used or recycled.

If you are not aware of all the items that can be recycled, you may be missing opportunities to keep these products from being discarded improperly.

• Virtually all paper can be recycled either at a center near you or with curbside pickup service. You will be saving trees, energy, and landfill space by recycling paper products.

1. You will need to contact your local recycling program to find out if you will need to sort paper or not. You can call 1-800-CLEANUP to learn about regulations in your area.
2. 86% of Americans have curbside paper recycling pickup.http://www.paperrecycles.org/recycling/index.html
3. If you will need to sort paper, it generally gets divided into these three groups (but check with your local program to learn their requirements!):http://www.tappi.org/paperu/all_about_paper/earth_answers/recycle1.htm
   • • White paper (printer paper, copy paper, notebook paper)
     • Newspaper
     • Mixed paper (junk mail, magazines, wrapping paper, plastic windows on envelopes are okay, too)
4. Basically all paper can be recycled unless it is contaminated with food waste. Tissues, wax paper, and carbon paper also cannot be recycled.http://www.tappi.org/paperu/all_about_paper/earth_answers/recycle1.htm
5. You do not need to remove staples.http://www.obviously.com/recycle/guides/common.html
6. Get your office involved! Place recycling bins near printers for discarded office paper. Make sure your building recycles properly by checking in with the National Recycling Coalition.http://www.nrc-recycle.org/

• Glass and aluminum are generally easy to recycle, and many cities and states no longer require you to sort through different colored glass.

1. Despite some recent controversy, recycling glass is worth doing to reduce waste and conserve landfill space.http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2006/1/20/104914/219
2. If you have curbside pickup for recyclables, simply put your glass bottles, aluminum cans, and tin cans into recycling bins to be picked up. Or, bring them to your nearest recycling center (see where to find the closest recycling program in the next step).
3. Rinse glass bottles and jars and leave caps off before placing glass in recycling bins.http://www.northvalley.wm.com/recyclingfacts.asp
4. Do not include glass from mirrors, windows, or lightbulbs, and leave out any broken glass.http://www.northvalley.wm.com/recyclingfacts.asp
5. Have your kids sort through the cans and bring them to a local recycling center for a nickel a piece. Many grocery stores offer recycling services that are fun to use—drop cans one by one into a big machine, and coins spurt out like it's Las Vegas.http://www.bottlebill.org/

Plastics can be tricky. You will need to be sure your local recycling program will take back different types of plastics.

1. Plastics are identified by their resin identification code," which divides plastic into 7 groups. Types 1, 2, and 6 are the most commonly recycled.http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/latest/recycling-symbols-plastics-460321
2. Determine a plastic's code by looking at the bottom of your item; usually there will be a number surrounded by the triangular recycling symbol.http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/latest/recycling-symbols-plastics-460321
3. Plastics are categorized into groups to identify what kind of plastic it is:
   • • Type 1 plastics usually include soda, water, peanut butter jars, and salad dressing bottleshttp://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/latest/recycling-symbols-plastics-460321
     • Type 2 plastics usually include water, milk and juice containers, yogurt containers, trash bags, and shampoo bottleshttp://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/latest/recycling-symbols-plastics-460321
     • Type 3 plastics usually include juice bottles and plastic cling wraphttp://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/latest/recycling-symbols-plastics-460321
     • Type 4 plastics usually include frozen food bags, squeezable containers like those for honey or mustard, and some plastic cling wrapshttp://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/latest/recycling-symbols-plastics-460321
     • Type 5 plastics usually include plastic food containers like Tupperware, margarine tubs, disposable cups and plates, and takeout containershttp://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/latest/recycling-symbols-plastics-460321
     • Type 6 plastics usually include egg cartons, plastics similar to those in Type 5, or packing peanuts and meat trayshttp://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/latest/recycling-symbols-plastics-460321
     • Type 7 plastics usually include other beverage bottles and milk bottles for babieshttp://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/latest/recycling-symbols-plastics-460321
4. For more common types (like 1, 2, and 6), you should be able to use your curbside recycling pickup or nearest dropoff center (see the next step to learn how to find the nearest recycling center).
5. Because not all plastics can be recycled, it is important to try to reduce use of plastics and reuse containers whenever possible.http://www.ecologycenter.org/ptf/misconceptions.html
6. For products not accepted by your local recycling center (usually Types 3, 4, 5 and 7—or plastics with no identification at all), you can try sending the container back to its manufacturer to be recycled. Some companies will list this information on the product's packaging.</ref>http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/latest/recycling-symbols-plastics-460321</ref>

• How many times can you really listen to Thriller on cassette before the tape warps and goes to 80s music heaven?

1. A company called GreenDisk specializes in "technotrash" and will properly dispose of all your old DVDs, CDs, cassettes, and even your old VCR or MP3 player for a minimal fee. http://greendisk.com/ They'll also help organizations or large groups with hard to recycle items on a consulting basis.
2. You can also donate old iPods at your Apple store and receive a discount on a new one.http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2005/jun/03recycle.html

• Only about 10-15% of computers are actually recycled.http://video.msn.com/?mkt=en-us&brand=msnbc&fg=rss&vid=e3edbfa3-486e-45b0-80aa-4ea3b2f9f238&from=05 Try to raise this statistic by recycling your old computer when you buy a new one.

1. Most computer companies have recycling programs. Dell's program has been widely praised, as it will recycle any old computer if you buy a new machine from them. http://www.grist.org/feature/2007/11/06/Today/index.html You can compare how well your computer manufacturer is recycling by checking out their report card.http://svtc.etoxics.org/site/PageServer?pagename=svtc_computer_report_car
2. If you cannot work directly with the manufacturer, see Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition's guide to electronics recycling to locate a responsible recycler or donation program.http://svtc.etoxics.org/site/PageServer?pagename=svtc_electronic_recycling
3. Find the closest responsible recycling program with an interactive map created by the Electronics Takeback Coalition.http://www.computertakeback.com/ http://www.computertakeback.com/the_solutions/recyclers_map.cfm

• Because small electronics are often highly toxic, they should be recycled!http://www.grist.org/feature/2007/11/06/Today/index.html

1. A nonprofit org called CollectiveGood collects and recycles old phones, pagers, and PDAs, refurbishing them when possible and sending them off to developing countries.http://www.collectivegood.com/
2. You can also bring your old phone to a Staples store in the U.S., and they'll send it in for you.http://www.staples.com
3. To better understand what to do with the batteries that power your various small electronics, see Earth 911's explanations on how to recycle various batteries.http://earth911.org/blog/2007/07/05/how-to-recycle-and-properly-dispose-of-batteries/

• Also check out E Magazine's article about little known recycling possibilities (like finding a place for your used-up jet ski).http://www.emagazine.com/view/?3172

Once you have decided to recycle, it can be helpful to learn where the recycling centers are in your area. Certain items may require more specific methods of recycling than others, so it is important to do your homework and determine where you will need to go.

• The greatest intentions won't get you far if you have no idea where to bring your items for recycling.

1. Type in your zip code to find the nearest recycling center using Earth 911's find a recycling center resource.http://earth911.org/
2. Or check out Our Earth's recycling directory for where to recycle a broad range of household waste, including electronics and more rare items.http://www.ourearth.org/recycling/directory.aspx
3. If you need (free) recycling bins, go to Resource Recycling to see what is available.http://www.resource-recycling.com/equipment.html
4. Before heading out and about, see the EPA's Recycle on the Go website to learn about where you can recycle in public places.http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/osw/conserve/onthego/index.htm
5. Get involved with improving accessibility to recycling centers and residential and business best practices at the National Recycling Coalition.http://www.nrc-recycle.org/

• What do you do with all those odd items you aren't sure where to recycle?

1. Try posting items for free on Craigslist or Freecycle.org.http://www.craigslist.org/about/sites.html http://www.freecycle.org/ You won't be leaving your items curbside in a blue bin, but someone else will likely be thrilled to pick up your items and give them a new life.
2. Groups like Habitat for Humanity will pick up old cars as part of their Cars for Homes project.http://www.habitat.org/carsforhomes/ So will the Donate Cars for Charity organization.http://www.donate-car-for-charity.com/
3. Donate old eyeglasses with Unite for Sight or through your local Lions Club's Recycle for Sight program.http://www.uniteforsight.org/donate_eyeglasses.php http://www.lionsclubs.org/EN/content/vision_eyeglass_sight.shtml You can also drop off old lenses at Lenscrafters, to be donated to their Gift of Sight program.http://www.lenscrafters.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Footer|-1|11151|10051|/LensCrafters/Lens_US/Footer/About/LensCrafters_Footer_About_Gift_Of_Sight

• Remember the old mantra Reduce, Reuse, Recycle? Don't forget the first two Rs!

1. Reusing items before bringing them to the recycling center will extend their life even further, and save precious energy in the meantime.
2. A few ways to get more life out of things before heading to the recycling center (and save yourself a few trips there, too):http://www.recycling-guide.org.uk/reuse.html
   1. Use reusable bags at the grocery store. You won't pile up needless plastic bags this way and will be able to skip the plastic bag recycling altogether.http://www.recycling-guide.org.uk/reuse.html
   2. Switch to compact flourescent light bulbs (CFLs) to reduce the number of bulbs you go through. The average CFL can last up to 15,000 hours, compared to 750-1000 hours for an incandescent bulb.http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=find_a_product.showProductGroup&pgw_code=LB
   3. Buy a water bottle you can fill up again and again with drinks from home.http://www.recycling-guide.org.uk/reuse.html
   4. Compost leftover food products or other compostable material to give new life to your garden! In Seattle, residents compost food scraps that are composted by the city and resold at area garden centers.http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/10/us/10recycle.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1205338106-6BXnIXY1SdqCjlrLEYh6Uw
   5. Buy vintage clothes and jewelry and find antiques at local shops, on eBay, or nearby flea markets. Not only will you be getting off the produce-consume treadmill, but you'll own unique pieces that likely came with a good story.http://www.ebay.com
   6. Recycle as a group. If you and a few friends put all your recyclables into one car and took one trip, think of the gas (and carbon emissions) you'd be saving!http://earth911.org/blog/2008/02/18/eight-ways-to-green-your-recycling/
   7. Try "pre-cycling" by buying products that are already in packaging that is easy to recycle, like glass or aluminum (or involves no packaging at all!).http://earth911.org/blog/2008/02/18/eight-ways-to-green-your-recycling/
   8. To find products that are recyclable (and to discern what claims are legitimate when it comes to recycled goods), see the EPA's site about buying recycled materials.http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/muncpl/buyrec.htm