Recycle, recycle, recycle!

After learning to be water-wise and changing lightbulbs, the next easiest thing to do is RECYCLE!

I am so lucky that I live in an area that offers recycling with my weekly trash pickup. I always recycled the obvious – glass jars, tin cans, plastic drink bottles and newspapers. I thought I was doing well. But it is just NOT enough! So many more items can be recycled. I started paying attention to the recycle symbol (see side) on everything that I was about to throw away. Most paper can be recycled, as can junk mail. I looked to other places than the kitchen for recyclables – the bathroom and laundry are full of recyclable soap and shampoo bottles. I started buying products that were in recyclable containers or containers that had the recycle symbol printed on it rather than those that did not (in my area, Albertson’s brand puts frozen vegetables in plastic bags marked with a recycle symbol, C&W brand does not). If I accidentally threw something recyclable in the trash (old habit) I forced myself to go in after it and put it in recycling instead (really helped me form a new habit quickly!).

Besides looking to recycle at home, I looked outside my home to see what I could do. I had met a bunch of mommies at McDonald’s for lunch with our kids and I had emptied the recyclable containers and put them in my diaper bag to take home and recycle when I normally would have tossed them (someday we’ll battle to get recycling containers at eateries/fast food places too!). Some of the mommies in my group caught on and gave me their containers too. I was so happy that my action inspired others to think about recycling when it didn’t seem so easy or obvious.

At home, I contacted our recycling company for a list of acceptable items. I’m passing it on to you, but keep in mind that your part of the country will be different. Please take a moment to visit your waste collector’s website and get the information on recycling for yourself. Just think of all the items you can keep out of a dump!

Recyclable Materials:

• Aluminum cans, foil and trays
• Tin cans and bi-metal cans
• Rinsed milk cartons – flattened
• Juice boxes and soy milk boxes – flattened
• Carryout bags, butter and margarine tubs, screw on caps and yogurt containers
• Mixed plastic materials
• Shampoo, detergent, milk, soda, water containers
• All plastic food containers marked #1 – #7
• Glass bottles and jars – empty and rinsed
• Loose newspaper
• Paper board
• Cereal and cracker boxes
• Six-pack cartons
• Cardboard and corrugated boxes
• Brown grocery bags
• Magazines
• Glossy paper
• Junk mail
• Stationery and envelopes
• Any high-grade/uncoated paper
• Binder/notebook paper, any color

If your area doesn’t currently offer recycling – take on the battle! Be a mother fighting for others and fight to get recycling in your area.

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