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Recycling Guidelines
Date of Post: 9/24/21
What can be Recycled
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Paper
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Cardboard
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Glass (all colors)
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Batteries
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Do NOT put these batteries in your household garbage or recycling bins: lithium metal, lithium-ion, lead-acid, nickel cadmium, and other rechargeable batteries.​
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Metal, such as tin cans, foil, empty aerosol cans, aluminum cans
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Containers marked #1-7 (exclude Styrofoam)
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Plastic. Including Clean plastic bags. ​
* Everyone must rinse out their cans, bottles, bags, and boxes become placing them in your recycle bin. ​
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Every state in the U.S. has its own rules and regulations for recycling.
What cannot be Recycled
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Pizza Boxes and other food containers if they have food on it.
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Plastic Bags if they have food on them.
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Medical waste and Syringes.
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Food Waste
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Garden Waste
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Clothing (but are donatable)
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Furniture (but are donatable)
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Ceramics
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Oils
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Construction Material (If it's in good condition, reuse, restore, or donate)
* Anything that is not cleaned out before putting it in the recycle bin will be thrown out because of food contamination.
Let's dive deeper in understanding how to recycle these items:
Plastic
Plastic bags can be recycled if they are clean. Just clean it a little bit and put it in the recycle bin. Some stores allow you to recycle them there. You can also take them to a hazardous waste collection service.
Paper
Make sure the plastic bag is recyclable as well. If you have phone books, mail, catalogs, notepads, sticky notes, calendars, and clean cardboard boxes, recycle those too. Boxes made of cardboard are definitely recyclable.
A while back, the Barnes and Noble and Borders Bookstores had eco-friendly writing journals.
Metal
Metal is recyclable. Even aerosol cans be recyclable when completely empty. Additionally, it is also easy to recycle stainless steel and aluminum.
Thus, cellphones, laptops, and other electronics can be recycled and save a lot of energy.
Styrofoam
Only Soccra takes Styrofoam. Styrofoam is technically recyclable. Most places do not recycle Styrofoam.
It is made of a type of plastic called 'polystyrene', along with a lot of air. So, it is probably difficult to recycle. Check your state to see if they collect Styrofoam. Some do recycle them, and some do not.
Batteries
Since batteries are hazardous materials, they should not be disposed of in the trash or recycling bins at home. However, they are definitely recyclable.
Look for stores that recycle batteries or collect hazardous waste. There are various types of batteries out there and many of them have acid in them. Lithium-ion batteries can start a fire if not disposed of properly. Put it in a separate bag and take it to a hazardous waste collection center.
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Also, putting them in a landfill causes toxic waste to leak into the ground and harm our water supply.
Tip: You can think of buying Rechargeable batteries instead, as these are more efficient in reducing constant toxic waste.
Lastly, I advise you to throw away as little waste as possible. The majority of materials can be recycled, so it is not necessary to throw everything away. You can recycle, reuse, and reduce. Recycle as much as you can so landfills and oceans can be cleaner.
Good Sources for Recycling:
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https://www.netwaste.com.au/recycle-it/what-can-be-recycled/
https://www.nrdc.org/stories/10-ways-reduce-plastic-pollution
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