Recycling home garbage has turned from just a necessity into a fashion in the past decade. More and more people try to live a waste-free life or minimize waste production. Unfortunately, waste-free life is a tough goal to reach from scratch, so if you’re not able to give up packaging just yet, aim for recycling.
Recycling is defined as the collection of waste materials and its further processing and reuse into the production of new items. Such a circle of reusing materials keeps these items out of a landfill. However, for recycling to be effective, every single member of a society needs to recycle properly.
In this article, you can learn about the recycling methods and tricks to help your country reduce waste accumulation.
1. Learn the code
Since the introduction and implementation of waste recycling strategy all over the world, every country and county in the US has introduced a code of rules and norms. In the simplest version, recycling is divided into plastic, glass, paper, and mixed waste materials. This means that you need to have four separate waste bins and ensure that every piece of garbage is placed into the proper bin and then taken to the right recycling factory.
2. Make recycling easy
Very often people complain that waste management is a too complex task for families with small kids because the latter don’t understand the difference and mix up the bins all the time. There is a very simple way of how to recycle with ease. First of all, you can use bins of various colors to help kids understand the difference. The worldwide practice is to use yellow for plastic bins, blue for paper bins, green for glass bins, and any other color (usually black, brown, or red) for the mixed waste. You can also set up an additional fifth bin for metal waste (such as cans and tins).
Once the bins are marked, you can print small reminders with pictures for kids in order to give an example of an object that goes into a particular bin.
3. Use apps
It’s also a common problem that people don’t know whether a particular piece of plastic, for example, can be recycled. Many house cleaners say that it was hard on their businesses when the codes were introduced, so there were apps developed to simplify the segregation process. So, these apps provide information on how to recycle particular household items. They are frequently based on the local governmental environmentalist sites which provide such recycling lists and advice. All you need is download an app and then scan the code of the product to receive information about the right bin for it. Here is a list of the best waste management apps for reference.
4. Know that everything can be recycled
Batteries, bulbs, computers, phones, and all everyday objects that you use can also be recycled. Yes, you cannot dispose of them at home, and it is even prohibited to throw them into the bins. However, every city has special disposal spots where you can bring those objects and leave them either for complete disposal or for recycling as well. You can look for such places by checking the official webpage of RecycleNow.
5. Avoid using plastic bags
Plastic bags have literally polluted every home and have become irreplaceable (or so we thought) companions of grocery shopping nowadays. However, professional grocery shoppers say that it’s much more comfortable and also green to use special shopping bags and containers. Yes, it’s a habit that needs training, yet, it’s in fact very simple to learn. In case you’re buying cereals in bulk, you can also take your own containers to a store and fill them in.
6. Commercial recycling practices
Implementation of the zero-waste office is a tough task; however, it’s possible to start regardless of your work position.
If you’re a boss, then you can implant the idea of recycling and make it a set-in-stone rule for all the office members. All you need is install colored recycling bins and arrange waste management company to pick up the segregated wastes. To help you control this process, you can also appoint a recycling examiner or a couple of them for the purpose of controlling and managing the process. Another perspective is to make recycling a competition among the company departments and guarantee some prizes to winners. Such initiatives are highly welcomed by the workers.
In case you are not in the leading position, then you can simply put cardboard boxes by every desk in order to recycle at least office papers in the proper way. Once you get used to separating paper from the rest of the office waste, you can add glass and plastic bins in the office kitchens, etc.
As you can see, waste-free home or office is not a complicated task and is manageable absolutely for everyone. Yes, it requires some discipline in the beginning, but once you get used to it, it becomes a piece of cake!
Living in NYC, recycling can feel like a bit of a challenge with all the hustle and bustle, but this article breaks it down so well! I didn’t realize how simple it could be to start recycling right in my apartment. The tips on separating materials and finding local drop-off points were super helpful—especially for a city that never sleeps! Thanks for making recycling feel doable, even in a place as busy as New York.