Recycling Together

Recycling. We've all heard this word before, but it doesn't really mean much to us, does it? Don't worry I was in the same category as most of you people out there, I would never really see the point-when the trash is picked up from our homes, I had always assumed that when the trash collectors took it back to where they worked, the trash would be sifted through and the recyclable material would be separated from the plain trash. Recently, I read that not all trash gets separated. Some of our trash does indeed get sifted through and separated into recyclable and non-recyclable piles, but parts of our trash also ends up in landfills and even in the ocean. To make sure none of our trash ends up harming the environment, here are some easy tips on how to recycle:

1. Find a convenient place to collect recyclable items. Most things come from the kitchen, making it a good spot to set up a recycling center.

2. The great thing about recycling is that it lets you put your favorite old containers, bins, or baskets to use. Assign containers for glass, plastic, and aluminum. To avoid messes, choose solid containers for storing items such as glass jars or cans that may have a sticky residue.

3. Take leftover plastic bags back to grocery stores where they are collected and reused to make plastic lumber.

4. Check the bottom of plastic items to identify what type of plastic they are. If the type is not recycled at your local center, consider ways to reuse the container.

5. Save water and time when recycling cans and bottles. You no longer need to rinse them out or remove their labels.

6. Recycle junk mail or reuse it as scratch paper. To opt-out of certain junk-mailing lists, go to opt-out.cdt.org.

7. Newspapers, magazines, and white paper can all be recycled as long as the paper is clean and dry. Plastic wrap, stickers, or rubber bands should be removed, but staples and plastic window envelopes are OK.

8. Recycle worn-out rechargeable batteries like those used in cell phones, computers, or power tools. Go to www.rbrc.org to find a drop-off location in your area.

9. Divvy up recycling duties among family members and sort items on a daily basis

Hopefully using these tips, we can at least do our own little part in helping the environment. Share these tips with your neighbors & friends and we can all work together in doing our parts. By recycling and using these tips, we can help recycle our materials and keep busy during this drought. Have fun!