Recycling Guide

The EPA claims that upwards of 75% of the trash in the United States can be recycled, while less than 25% of it actually makes it there. Recycling is all about planning ahead and having a little foresight. Instead of making that pile on the side of the house our in your garage, get some bins, some labels, some rules and a schedule.

- Recycling Bins
If you don't have any extra trash cans, bins or receptacles lying around, this is the first place to start. Sifting through a pile of recycling just before it's time to take it curbside or to your local recycling center isn't fun. There's no need to buy "new bins" or "recycling specific bins", it's best to check your local recycling center for used bins first. If they don't have any and you happen to need some new ones, we've found a ton of good deals on recycling bins in a variety of shapes, sizes, materials and colors. Some of them are even made from recycled materials. Because paper usually doesn't contain liquids or food, using a large cardboard box for your paper recyclables is good way to minimize bin usage and space. Once the box wears out, you can recycle it too.

- Break it Down
Depending on your local recycling services, you generally need to split up your recyclables into glass, metal, paper and plastic. While metal and paper recyclables are not specific to a type of metal or paper, sometimes the various varieties of glass and plastic need to be separated out even further. Glass is almost always based on color and plastic types are based on the numbered stamp. Sometimes recycling centers do not accept plastics #3 to #7, as they require more energy to recycle and provide less efficiency to the whole process. It's best to check with your local recycling center or recycling service to see which recyclables they do and don't accept.

- Clean, Don't Polish
Make sure not to flush out your recyclables with tons of water, just be sure they're not packed full of food or appear moldy. There's no need to waste water when you're recycling. Also, try not to break glass bottles. It is much easier for recycling sorters to pick though the recycled glass if it is not broken or dangerous.

With the rising cost of fuel, some recycling centers consolidating, moving or even closing up shop. If you're having trouble finding a location near you to recycled a certain product, check out Earth911.org.