Recycling Solutions That Minimize Your Waste
You probably know that recycling is important for the environment and for helping manage landfills. Since recycling procedures might vary among different locations, you may wonder how to go about recycling when you move to a new neighborhood, or if you're just starting out with recycling in general. Here are some ideas for recycling solutions that might help you.
Call Your Sanitation Department
Call your city's sanitation department to ask about their recycling program. You might need to pay a fee to have your recycling picked up at the curbside, but the convenience makes the cost worth it. If your city doesn't offer curbside services, ask about drop-off locations.
Before you call, you may want to see if your city has recycling services information on their website where recycling centers are listed. You'll also want to know the rules for recycling, such as if plastic bags are accepted or if lids have to be removed from plastic bottles. Most paper, cardboard, and plastic products can be recycled through a city system or other commercial service such as Mid America Paper Recycling Co.
Take Your Plastic Bags To The Grocery Store
If your sanitation department doesn't accept plastic grocery bags for recycling, just save the bags and take them to the grocery store on your next trip. Many groceries have a bin for collecting used plastic bags that they then recycle. They may also accept other things, such as egg cartons, so be sure to look the next time you go to the store so you'll know how to recycle those items.
Take Old Computers To An Electronics Store
Electronic equipment, such as tablets, phones, and computers can be difficult to get rid of. Your city probably prohibits putting them in the trash, but they may not offer a convenient way to have the equipment picked up or dropped off. Try calling various electronic stores in your area. Stores that sell phones and computers may accept used and broken equipment for recycling, and that makes it easy to get rid of old computers you don't want around your house any longer.
Call A Metal Recycler To Pick Up Metal Junk
Metal junk such as old appliances, bed springs, and furniture is usually easy to get rid of without having to pay for it to be hauled off. Look in local classified ads for recyclers who pick up metal junk free of charge. Some people do this to gather enough metal to take to the recycling center and make a profit. They won't pay for your metal, but they won't charge you to haul it off either.
There are recycling solutions for just about anything you want to recycle. The most convenient option is curbside service, but the city probably won't pick up everything. If you have questions about how to get rid of paint, oil, or chemicals, call your city for advice rather than throw toxic materials in the trash to be dumped in a landfill.
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