Top 10 Things You Can Recycle

Contributed by Cindi Pearce, Catalogs.com Info Guru

We all know what recycling is but that doesn’t mean we all do it. We should. We must. It’s getting to the point where our atmosphere is changing drastically because we are filling it with too much junk and depleting natural resources.

Recycling occurs when an object is treated or processed so it is capable of being reused. For example, paper is recycled so more trees don’t have to be cut down.

Repurposing is another facet of recycling which means using an object in a new way or for another purpose, which is actually fun to do. Instead of throwing that old door into the trash heap, make a table out of. Transform your pretty but empty make-up jars into containers for candles or jewelry. Make placemats out of your old tattered blue jeans or use those once white and now gray t-shirts to clean with. Repurposing requires some creativity on your part, and it also eliminates the energy that it takes to recycle. Recycling requires you to become aware and stay aware of the things you are doing that are harming the earth.

The top 10 things you can recycle:

10. Christmas cards

Take your Christmas cards to M&S, HomeSense or TK Maxx in January and drop them into a recycling bin, specifically for Christmas cards. These stores donate money to the Woodland Trust based on the number of cards that are placed in the bin.

9. Ink and toner cartridges

You can recycle your empty ink and toner cartridges. Staples will pay you $2 for returning these cartridges to the store. You can’t beat that. When you recycle electronic waste it helps ensure that mercury and lead, which are often components of these products, are managed properly and not contaminating the earth and people.

8. Disposable cups

Drink your coffee out of a mug and not out of a Styrofoam or paper cup. If you insist on drinking from disposable cups re-use it throughout the day. In other words, recycle your cup or else drink from one that requires washing at the end of the day.

7. Magazines, newspapers and catalogs

When you are finished reading your magazines and newspapers take them to a hospital or doctor’s office or nursing home so that others can read them. This is recycling.

6. Batteries

Purchase green batteries that can be recharged. You will need a charger but ultimately this saves you money and is beneficial to the environment. Note that it takes 1,000 batteries to equal the lifespan of a rechargeable battery. That’s remarkable.

5. Packaging

Don’t buy overly packaged items. This is an unnecessary use of resources. If you do end up with boxes and bubble wrap try to find a way to use them. Reuse them when you mail something or turn the box into a useful container in your house. Wash and reuse microwavable trays. Use containers for leftovers, small toys, puzzle pieces or other things that need to be organized. Kids love boxes. Transform a box into a fort or a castle.

4. Grocery bag

Take your own cloth bag to the grocery store instead of using plastic or paper bags. Alternatively, save your plastic bags and reuse them every time you go to the store. Paper bags are preferable to plastic but a cloth bag is better yet. You can use your cloth bag repeatedly and not contribute one bit to waste. Look for the recycled symbol on the products that you purchase in the grocery store and elsewhere. When you buy items that are recycled you are helping the cause and doing your part.

3. Electronics

When your electronic devices die get rid of them in a way that is environmentally responsible. Call a recycling center and ask where you can properly dispose of radios, televisions, cell phones and computers. There are Return-It programs available that accept end-of-life electronics. In the United States, we throw away two million tons of electronic waste each year, which creates an unbelievable amount of trash. The EPA can instruct you on how to recycle your electronics.

2. Paper

Write on both sides of paper and when you are finished with the paper recycle it. When you save a ton of paper you are saving three cubic yards of landfill space, 7,000 gallons of water and 17 trees, which is something to think about. Establish a place for used paper. The paper has to be clean in order to be recycled. It can’t be tainted with food, contaminants, plastic or trash. Take the paper to a recycling bin or center. The paper is wrapped and taken to a paper mill where it is recycled into new paper. Pretty cool and it didn’t require much effort out of you at all. The easiest way to encourage recycling at home and in the office is to make recycling bins available and obvious. There needs to be a bin for paper, one for glass, another for plastic and a bin for metal, all of which can be recycled. Each bin is labeled. This requires some space but nothing more.

1. Your car

Recycle your car. Contact a car recycler in your area. Tell them that you want to give them your old car. They may pay you for it. The car is picked up at no charge and is then disposed of in a way that meets all requirements and is environmentally safe. Alternatively, the car may be recycled and used by someone who is in need of a car. You can also recycle components of a car by taking out the battery and returning it to the place where you purchased it. There may be a rebate incentive available to you. Take your old tires to a tire store so they can be recycled. When draining motor oil from your car, collect it and take it to a recycling collection center. Two gallons of used oil is enough to generate electricity for nearly 24 hours in the average household.