What can you recycle at home?
We want to take care of our environment, but the sad truth is that many of us are doing a shoddy job about it. We are continually using plastic products that end up in landfills and improperly disposing products.
Luckily, we a little education on handling waste and recycling; you’ll be on your way to participating in cleaning up your environment and the earth as a whole. Though you might not see it at first, the efforts of recycling by many different homeowners have a huge ripple effect that is predicted to be felt by generations to come.
Why not also read: 10 Reasons Why We Should Recycle
So with all that said, the question is, what can you recycle at home? You’ll be shocked to learn that quite a number of items are recyclable. And even better, many things and products state whether they are recyclable or not. They are usually labelled with a universal recycling symbol. But before we get into the items you can recycle, here are a few steps to take to improve the recycling process.
Steps to follow before recycling
Recycling is easy and only has two preliminary steps:
- Buy a recycling bin – a recycling bin will make the experience convenient and easier. With the bin, you can separate recycled items from normal waste.
- Purchase recycled products – even as you prepare to recycle products, you can encourage and support the recycling industry by purchasing recycled items. This move will help to reduce the waste that finds its way to the environment.
Items you can recycle at home
- Cardboard – it uses up a lot of space. The good news is that it can be recycled. However, before the cardboard is collected, make sure it is flattened.
- Furniture – the world has gone digital. Today there are websites that you can trade your old furniture with other homeowners in your community. There are also charity shops that accept used and ‘unwanted’ furniture. Remember, if you don’t need it anymore, someone else does.
- Paper – this is a no brainer. Paper is the most recycled material in the world. From newspapers to magazines to junk mail and books. You can recycle a lot of paper through DIY projects or popping them into your recycling bin.
- Food packaging – there are lots of foodstuffs that are packed using materials you can recycle. Juice boxes, cartons, and pizza boxes are a few that you can throw into the recycling bin. But before you do so, it’s important to ensure that it has the recycling symbol. This mark will tell you if it’s okay for recycling or not.
- Wood, plastic, glass, and metal – believe it or not, all these can be recycled. But unlike the other products, you need to be extra careful with these. Ensure that the items made from these materials can be recycled before you throw them into the recycle bin.
Steps to follow before recycling
Other things you can recycle include:
- Clothes and textiles – by donating them or dropping them off a recycling site.
- Computers and phones – some websites accept unwanted phones. Some brands even accept old phones and refurbish them.
- Electronic equipment – these include fridges, washing machines, and hair dryers.
As you prepare to recycle, you should note that it is not an easy thing to do. However, it is very fulfilling. But if you follow the above guide, recycling and saving the planet will be easy, and you can do it with your eyes closed.
