Important Facts to Know About Recycling

You want to do your part like everyone else to help the environment by making sure your recycling is separated and put where it goes. There are some things that people may not know or have forgotten. Here are some important facts to know about recycling.

What to Put in Your Recycle Bins

Most metal, glass, plastic and paper can be placed in the appropriate bins. These items can include beverage cans, glass jars, juice bottles and cereal boxes. The list is too extensive to list. Keep in mind that these items need to be relatively free of food and debris pieces. This is not to say that the jar that has a few specks left on it cannot be put in the bin. It may be a good idea to rinse it out, though. This will help keep your bin clean and sanitary. There are also items, such as pizza cartons, that have an inner cardboard lining. The inner cardboard needs to be thrown in the rubbish bin and left for normal rubbish removal. You may also need to check with your council and make sure they allow pizza cartons in the recycling bins.

What Not to Put in Your Recycle Bins

Items that should not be put in the recycling bins include plastic bottle tops, plastic bags, small plastic wrappers, small pieces of foil, books and steel bottle caps. This is not to say these items should not be recycled, only that they should not be placed in your recycling bins.  All of these items can be recycled by other means. Plastic bags and small pieces of plastic, like candy wrappers, can be taken to stores in your area that accept these items. Small pieces of foil and steel bottle caps can be placed in a tin can. When you have filled the can part way, push the can closed, therefore trapping the contents inside. This will allow them to be put in the recycling bin without any problems. Books are something that can be repurposed or recycled through other means as well. Unwanted books can be donated to many different charities or to local libraries. In this way, you have effective rubbish removal and have helped someone else at the same time.  

Why the Difference

These 'do not put' items are made from the same material as the approved items. However, their size will cause a problem for the machines and workers who process your recycling, therefore causing extra use of both energy and man-hours, neither of which is an acceptable practice to get into. When these small items are placed in the machines, they offset the weighing mechanisms in the machine and can cause the machines to malfunction or work harder than necessary.

While you are doing your part for a healthy environment and Earth, make sure that you know what to place in your recycling bins and why.

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