Easy ways to recycle at home

This post is sponsored by Republic Services, but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

Let’s be honest, committing to a 100% eco-friendly lifestyle can be a pretty intimidating thought.  Even with the best of intentions, we all have busy schedules, families and budgets that sometimes make it difficult for us to do everything green.  And friends, I’m here to tell you…it’s OK!  Life is all about learning and growing and taking things one day at a time.

For my family, on our journey toward a more eco-friendly lifestyle, we decided to start with our recycling practices and habits. The kids had already started learning about the importance of recycling and genuinely wanted to learn more about how we can recycle at home.  We know that recycling is a critical aspect in the conservation of natural resources and it significantly contributes towards bettering the environment not only for us, but for future generations. Plus, it’s really easy to get the whole family involved in the recycling process and can actually be fun.

There are a lot of great resources to start educating yourself about recycling and finding recycling solutions for your home. For example, Republic Services is an industry leader in U.S. recycling and solid waste disposal. Through their “We Work for Earth” campaign, Republic Services spread their message about protecting the environment by driving increased recycling, generating renewable energy and helping customers to be more resourceful. By making small steps in your everyday habits and making simple concessions to how you dispose of the things you no longer need around the home, you’re already taking the first step towards effective recycling.

For a complete guide to how to recycle almost everything in your home, check out this post.

How to recycle different materials at home

A lot of materials can get recycled, such as glass, paper, metal, and plastics. Other articles such as electronic equipment, furniture, vehicles and building materials can also get recycled, but most people often don’t think to do so.

One of the first things you’ll want to do is determine what can be recycled in your home and what items are not accepted. Not every item is available for recycling pickup, but Republic Services offers a quick guide to the items they are able to recycle. Just visit, https://www.republicservices.com/recycling and enter your address for this information. I was able to find tons of our everyday items were eligible from cereal boxes to spray cans to appliances, and even furniture.  Plus, getting rid of these items is just as simple as arranging a pickup from Republic Services to get them right from your front door.

Even for those items that aren’t as simple or acceptable for recycling, you can decrease your carbon footprint by being a little creative in your upcycling and recycling habits. Here are 6 creative and easy ways to recycle items around your home.

Creative and Easy Ways To Recycle

Create a homemade sprinkler

Sounds crazy, but I discovered this first as a fun backyard activity.   You can recycle plastic and make your own sprinkler!  That gallon of milk or soda can come in handy by simply drilling holes to create your own DIY sprinkler! Just add water!

The kids especially enjoy this in the summertime and for added fun, they can decorate it themselves.

Re-use plastic bags into storage or doggie pickups

How many plastic bags have you used this week alone? How many sandwich bags have you packed for your kids’ lunches that end up in the trash can? I couldn’t even begin to tell you! Some of these forms of plastic can’t be recycled, but this is where simply getting into the habit of reusing those as storage bags for things like batteries or other items you store. We also tend you use these as pooper scoopers pretty often and that does the trick!

Create an herb garden using soda bottles

I love herbs, but I’ve never been able to carve the time to create a fresh herb garden in my backyard.  Well, if you have some soda bottles lying around the house, say after a party or something, you can create a vertical herb garden using the bottles. All you need are the bottles and twines to hold the bottles together. The product is a beautiful garden with fresh herbs. Most importantly, it’s a fun and easy way to recycle plastic at home.

See also: How to Grow Your Own Herbs and Spices

Create an art mural

One of my friends loves DIY art murals. One time when looking for a cheap way of glamming her home, she discovered the beauty of recycling plastic. You can also do this. Think of all of the different colored plastic lids that have somehow been mismatched, scraps of artwork your kids bring home, bottle tops, or whatever other random findings you find around the house. Add some glue and cardboard and BOOM – it’s art.  Your guests will be amazed at your recycled art mural and the oceans will thank you for it.

Create a bird feeder

Why spend money creating a bird feeder when you can really easily recycle almost any plastic bottle to create one at home?  This is a really fun craft to put together with the family and takes only a matter of minutes.  You’ll find a ton of videos for DIY Bird Feeders on YouTube.

Recycling twist ties

If you’re like us, you probably have a bunch of cords around from electronics.  The answer – Twist Ties!  You know, the ones that come on a loaf of bread that you don’t even end up using through the end of the loaf because someone always ends up just tying it in a knot.  You can use twist ties to secure loose items such as computer wires and things like that.  Really easy solution for a clutter problem.

Recycling and Upcycling Clothing

Last, but not least, with even a little bit of creativity, you can recycle and upcycle clothing items into some pretty cool and handy things.  Recycle old clothes to make other textile articles such as teapot koozies or cushion covers, or even cushion and pillow stuffers.  You can also give your gently used old clothes to charity shops which is always welcome for those in need.

We Work For Earth

These are just a few ways I’ve started recycling in my home and hope it inspires you to do the same.  Just take it all one step at a time…then spread the message by sharing these simple tips of how to recycle with your friends and family!  To learn more about Republic Services and their commitment to a environmental responsibility and protecting the planet, visit www.republicservices.com/we-work-for-earth.