Recycling is one way of ensuring that products we no longer use are either turned into something else useful or reused. By doing so you will contribute to a greater saving of raw materials and energy. Recycling also reduces the amount of material destined for landfill, and by doing so you will help reduce pollution due to waste disposal. Unfortunately, not everyone feels motivated to recycle, for some it even seems an impossible undertaking. Yet, once you know what to do you will find that it is not that difficult. Start recycling within your household and work environment, trying to persuade others of the benefits of recycling.
Steps
Step 1. Commit to recycling as a family
Recycling can help reduce the amount of weekly garbage by contributing to a sustainable commitment. By practicing it regularly, you can show other people how easy it is by setting a good example.
- If you have children, talk to them. There are excellent books on the benefits of recycling, try looking for them in the children's section, in the library or bookstore.
- Start seeing waste as a resource. Garbage that cannot be reused can be recycled and reused in the form of a new item. For example, with glass you can make vases, tiles and more. Metal objects can be made into pots, cans, bicycle parts etc. Countless things can be done with plastic bottles. And of course the paper can be recycled into new paper or cardboard.
- Some items such as cans, cell phones, cartridges, ink and more can be recycled by returning them as a return for money.
Step 2. Get involved
Most families in urban areas participate in a common separate collection (condominium bins, door-to-door collection, etc.). If this is your case, you will surely already have a basic knowledge of recycling. However, it could create some confusion as to what is recyclable or not. This is because according to the cities and the region "the rules" on recycling vary. We advise you to read the information that you will surely find on the bins for separate waste collection or to look for information on the website of your municipality.
- Spend a few minutes to learn what can or can not be collected in the various waste bins.
- Remember to follow a few small rules, such as rinsing used cans, removing caps from bottles, etc. Badly sorted collection slows down the whole process and could harm the employees of the recycling plant. Your little effort can make a huge difference.
Step 3. Learn to recycle
Many items can be recycled. The more time passes, the more things are added to the list of what can be recycled / reused. The items that are most frequently recycled are:
- The glass.
- Tetra pak.
- Paper, including magazines, newspapers, office paper etc.
- Aluminum cans, aluminum foil and food trays are also collected in some municipalities.
- Cans, beverage cans, canned food, paint cans etc (if you are unsure whether the container is aluminum or metal, test with a magnet, if it gets attracted your container is metal).
- Plastic, on some bottles you will find the recycling symbol or the word PET; remember to remove the caps from the bottles.
- In the following steps you will find some exceptions of products that are officially not recyclable, but not to be thrown away completely.
Step 4. Items that cannot be recycled
Some items cannot be recycled as they are dangerous. Especially the technological waste. Never put them in separate waste bins, as they could create problems and contaminate easily recyclable materials. Some of this items are:
- Light bulbs.
- Plastic without recycling symbols.
- Glasses, crockery, pyrex, ceramic.
- Carbon paper, wrapping paper, laminated paper, gift ribbon.
- Stickers.
- The potato chips bags.
- Mirrors.
- Dirty food items.
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Items such as: Tetra-Pak, batteries, paint cans, oil, polystyrene, tinfoil must be disposed of according to municipal regulations.
Items that you can't recycle, you could always reuse them by changing their use
- There shouldn't be a need to say it, some types of waste must absolutely not be put in the separate collection bins: animal corpses, medical waste, used diapers, sanitary ware, syringes.
Step 5. Find out about the recycling programs in your area
On the internet you will find all the information you need for recycling. If you are not already part of a recycling group, the internet is the best place to start when you are looking for a recycling program:
- United States - see NRC-Recycle.org,
- Canada - see the Wikipedia entry on recycling in Canada for various provincial schemes,
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U. K.
- see Recycling Guide.org.uk,
- Germany - general guide in English,
- Australia - see Recycle Australia.org, https://www.recycleaustralia.org/, relevant council websites, Environment Australia
- New Zeland - see various council websites, Love NZ,
- South Africa - see Guide to Recycling in South Africa, https://treevolution.co.za/guide-to-recycling-in-sa/, The National Recycling Forum,
- Ireland - Recycling in Ireland, https://www.recyclemore.ie/ and Directory of Irish Recycling,
- As for electronic devices, visit the manufacturers' websites, and look for specific programs that deal with this particular type of waste. If there is no program, you can always start it yourself.
Step 6. Set up your own recycling system
Recycling takes up space in your home, so it's important to understand how to manage your recycling cycle. Sort the waste according to the regulations of your municipality. Below you can find some ideas on how to create your own recycling system:
- Pull-out trays or drawers, of those that fit under the sink, can be purchased or custom built.
- If you have a secondary exit from the kitchen you may want to consider placing your bins right outside the kitchen.
- Use containers with lids to avoid the risk of spillage of both materials and an unpleasant odor.
- If you use bags remember to pay attention to the sharp corners of cans, glass bottles, etc.
- Make sure your recycling area is accessible to all who use it. As for the paper, the suggestion is to place a special bin near each desk.
- Obviously, remember to make a bin for the collection of unsorted waste.
Step 7. Be clean
Before throwing your waste in the separate collection, make sure it is clean, rinse any food and drink residues from bottles or cans.
Do not put non-recyclable waste in the separate collection bin
Step 8. Be active and don't get discouraged
Recycling can be frustrating if you live in a municipality with a very strict rule on what can and cannot be recycled due to lack of facilities. It is important to find ways to solve these problems by working for you and your community.
Step 9. Try to make those who disagree with you understand the importance of recycling
You may encounter people who disagree on the relevance of recycling some may give pseudo-scientific reasons (traveling long distances, use of too much energy etc.) this type of reason should be raised in a balanced way by comparing it with the concrete benefits of recycling, in particular the sectors such as:
- The creation of jobs, the reduction of pollution, etc.
- Recycling allows the conservation of wood and water for future generations.
- Wars are fought for resources, recycling reduces the need for resource warfare, contributing to the demonstration that what we already have could be enough for everyone (together with a reduction in consumption).
- The production of recycled objects requires less energy than those that start from the raw material. For example, aluminum recycling requires 95% less energy than production.
- Remember that if your anti-money laundering interlocutor does not seem to pay attention to the benefits listed this should not be a cause for despair, continue with what you are doing by setting a good example.
Step 10. Spread the word
If you have the time, you can become a "recycling champion" and you could even set up recycling groups in your area.
Use a blog or website or social network to spread your ideas about recycling and provide information that can help others
Step 11. Try to buy recycled products whenever possible
Help the recycling industry thrive by purchasing its products, here are some examples:
- Recycled paper.
- Insulation material, many types of insulation material comes from the recycled product market.
- Clothing: many brands produce entire lines starting from recycled products.
- Pens and pencils..
Step 12. Go beyond recycling
Reducing what you use, and reusing what you already have in combination with recycling leads to a drastic reduction of what ends up in landfills. Scraps of fabric can become pieces of clothing, the stuffing of an old pillow can become that of a toy or that of a soft toy.
Advice
- Some municipalities require washing items, removing labels, lids or caps. Look for the regulation of your area.
- It is not enough to think of normal recycling and try to expand it with new ideas.
- If you use a lot of paper in your school or workplace, try putting a basket under your desk to collect it.
- Those extra few seconds you will spend on sorting your waste well will help the recycling process immensely.
- One of the biggest wastes is that of fuel, try to use the car only if necessary.
Warnings
- When trying to convince others of the usefulness of recycling avoid terminologies such as "saving the planet" as this type of very emotional language tends to create in people the desire to avoid the issue.
- Remember to wash and rinse the containers before recycling them. All this will facilitate the work of the waste disposal staff.
