| If you are looking to live a "greener", more | | | | Recycle glass food containers, beer and other |
| environmentally-friendly lifestyle, the first place | | | | beverage containers according to color - clear, |
| you should start is with a trash recycle bin. | | | | brown, blue and green. There are some types of |
| Thankfully, many recycling companies have sprung | | | | glass that some recycling programs refuse to |
| up around the country that now accept all types | | | | take, like drinking glasses, light bulbs, and mirrors |
| of items that you normally throw into your trash | | | | that may be coated with contaminants. Check |
| as recycled material; in fact, some of them will | | | | with your recycler on what to do with these |
| even pay you for some recyclable items - like | | | | items. |
| aluminum soda cans, for instance. | | | | Aseptic containers. Aseptic containers are those |
| Common Items for Your Trash Recycle Bin | | | | that are made from different layers like plastic, |
| With a little bit of care, you can recycle most of | | | | paper and metal; many kids drink boxes and soy |
| the things that you use in your home that would | | | | milk containers are aseptic packages that can be |
| ordinarily end up in the already overburdened | | | | recycled easily. |
| landfill, including: | | | | Paper. Nearly all paper can be recycled - and |
| Plastics. Plastic recycling is growing rapidly across | | | | sorting paper from the trash is simple when you |
| the globe, but you'll need to have a separate | | | | use a specific trash recycle bin for the task. While |
| trash recycle bin for each plastics type. Plastics | | | | newspaper recycling has been practiced for many |
| usually have cryptic markers on the product's | | | | years, it is only in recent times that other paper |
| bottom that indicate which recycling type (there | | | | recycling has taken off. Recycle your white office |
| are seven of them) that the container or item is. | | | | paper, corrugated cardboard, junk mail, used |
| From yogurt containers to plastic grocery bags, | | | | envelopes (plastic window envelopes are also |
| every item recycled is one less left to rot in the | | | | accepted as paper), old phone books, and |
| landfill; most plastics in the landfill today will still be | | | | magazines alongside your newspapers to reduce |
| there 500 years from now because plastic takes | | | | your family's carbon footprint (and maybe save a |
| many centuries to degrade and decompose. | | | | tree in the process). It's important to note that |
| Aluminum cans and foil. Check with local recycling | | | | paper sent out for recycling should be clean, dry, |
| centers to see if they buy these items and if | | | | and free from soil or food contaminants. Paper |
| they offer curbside pickup; many of them may | | | | that cannot be recycled includes sanitary |
| require you to physically bring the aluminum items | | | | products, toilet tissue, laminated fast food |
| in to their center. | | | | wrappers, thermal paper (like used for faxes) and |
| Glass containers and bottles. Although glass is not | | | | pet food bags. |
| as widely used today as it was in the past, | | | | Choosing Your Trash Recycle Bin |
| recycling glass rather than throwing it away is | | | | When selecting a trash recycle bin for your family, |
| important; scientists estimate that glass takes a | | | | take into consideration: |
| million years to decompose! Many states have | | | | The amount of recycling that you produce within |
| regulations on glass containers and require a | | | | a week's time (or twice weekly, depending on |
| deposit on glass containers at the point of sale. | | | | your area's recycling pick-up schedule). |