How to recycle around the home
Recycling is a critical aspect in the conservation of natural resources, and it significantly contributes towards bettering the environment. Here are some helpful tips about recycling around the home. Recycling around your home can be fun and easy when you understand how to recycle effectively. By carefully thinking about the products you purchase at the supermarket and ways of recycling them is the initial step towards effective recycling.
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.
Here’s a quick guide on how to recycle those many things we find around our home…
How to Recycle Batteries
The first step is to purchase rechargeable batteries whenever possible. The batteries we use are full of toxic elements that are horrible for the environment, therefore go green by purchasing batteries that you can recharge and recycle. You will also find special firms that will collect all your old alkaline (single use) batteries and safely recycle them, however, in some instances, there is an additional fee for this service. Earth911 is a great resource for finding your nearest battery recycling center and the rules for recycling everything from alkaline batteries to car batteries.
How to Recycle Packaging items
You can donate packaging items such as egg cartons and foil to nurseries and schools, where they can be utilized in art and craft classes. Additionally, if you find that you collect lots of packaging items around your home, a good idea would be to invest just a nominal amount of money into a simple in-home compost bin.
See also: Is aluminum foil recyclable?
Compost the most
Again, you can start or purchase a compost bin for your home where you throw all the biodegradable food garbage from your kitchen such as banana peels and egg shells. This garbage will soon decompose and turn into compost that is essential for planting.
How to Recycle Electronics
Don’t just toss your phone in the trash when it goes kaput; most phone providers will recycle your cell phone for you once you get a new one. You can also look online for an electronics recycling depot near you. These depots can recycle anything from phones to laptops.
Recycling twist ties and carrier bags
Carrier bags can get recycled for use as bin bags in the house or in the shops. You can use twist ties to secure loose items such as computer wires. Paper bags can also be reused to make useful wrapping papers.
How to Recycle Newspaper and cardboard
Recycling newspaper and cardboard are actually really simple and common. Aside from composting or numerous curbside recycling programs, a really cool idea I’ve learned is that you can recycle newspaper or cardboard right in your garden by turning them into mulch. Just tear them into strips and line them around your plants. After they absorb the moisture, they will eventually decompose into the ground.
Recycling Clothing
Most people will find that they recycle clothing more they realize. Old clothes can be recycled 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.
How to Recycle Plastic
This is almost a blog post in itself because although there are so many fun and simple ways to recycle plastic, according to the National Geographic, eight million tons of plastic is dumped each year. That’s over 90% of the plastic manufactured each year not being recycled! But you can do something about this sad statistic. Below are another host of ways to recycle plastic around your home!
Create a herb garden using soda bottles
I love herbs. Think of how Rosemary transforms a dish. Or the beauty of mint in your smoothies. But herbs dry up so first and you always wish you had space for a fresh herb garden. God knows how many times I’ve wished for one. Well, you can imagine my delight when I learned that you can create a vertical herb garden using soda bottles. All you need is the bottles and twines to hold the bottles together. The product is a beautiful garden with fresh herbs. Most importantly you will be able to recycle plastic at home.
See also: How to Grow Your Own Herbs and Spices
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!
Re-use plastic containers into kitchen storage
How many plastic baggies have you used this week only? Seven or ten? How many sandwich baggies have you used that end up in the trash can? Some of this forms of plastic can’t be recycled. Is it a wonder that 91% of plastic manufactured on a yearly basis is not recycled?
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. All you have to do is hoard all the different colored plastic lids you can get. All you need now is glue and a cardboard. Your guests will be amazed at your recycled art mural and the oceans will thank you for it.
Create a bird feeder
Why would you spend a dime to create a bird feeder yet you can recycle a gallon or a bottle at home? All you need is a pair of scissors. And you can enjoy the music of birds knowing that you are also prolonging the life of the big blue whale through reduced plastic in the oceans.
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 ones step at a time…then spread the message by sharing these simple tips of how to recycle with your friends and family!
More Recycling Facts
* Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to keep a 100-watt light bulb burning for up to four hours or can even run your television for up to three hours. The energy it takes to create an aluminum can with new materials will create 20 aluminum cans from recycled materials.
* Glass is the easiest and most frequently recycled material. For every 20 glass bottles recycled you will save two pounds of carbon emissions. For every ton of glass recycled that’s 700 pounds of saved carbon emissions or the equivalent of line drying your laundry for six months.
* The energy savings we see from recycling reduce the greenhouse gas emissions which in turn affect climate change. If we save 18 million tons of CO2 by recycling in a year, then that would be the equivalent of taking five million cars off the road.
* On average a person recycles 1.5 pounds of municipal solid waste (MSW) a day. That’s a savings of over 2.5 pounds of carbon emissions from one person a day. For ever ton of MSW waste recycled, that’s 2.27 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions.
* If we were to recycle about 50 percent of our waste per day or just over two pounds, then on average per family we would save 2400 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions per year.
* Everything you recycle instead of dump in the dumpster saves room in landfills. Large amounts of methane gas are produced at landfills. So every item you send to a landfill instead of recycling just produces more methane gas.
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