How to recycle like a pro
So, ready to recycle? Got your blue, black or green or cardboard box?
Let’s do it!
The reason some don’t recycle is it does require an investment of time. If you live somewhere where there are two or more boxes to consider when recycling, you have to sort your recyclables before tossing them into the appropriate box.
Recycling paper is very straight forward. In my municipality, almost anything goes paper-wise: egg cartons (as long as they are not made of sytrofoam), cardboard, magazines, flyers and newspapers are all fair game. As long as the paper isn’t mixed with any non-paper materials, you’re fine. But when we come to the blue box contents, you will need to exert yourself a bit more:
- Rinse all containers
This is good for you and for the person who will be picking up your recycling. By rinsing your containers out, you will prevent the stench of curdled milk or pasta sauce that’s not quite as fresh as it used to be from invading your garage or backyard. Avoiding attracting wild animals is always a plus. - Remove paper where it is possible to do so
This rule appllies most to tin cans which often are covered in paper. Of course you’ll be tossing this paper you remove into your paper recycling bin, right? - Check if your product is recyclable!
I too used to think that all my plastics, glass and metal were recyclable, until I found out that in my city, the following items will not be picked up (see here for a complete list for the Ottawa, Ontario, Canada area): - metal clothes hangers
- drinking glasses
- bakery and produce plastics
Happy recycling! It will probably take a while to get to the point where you consider the recycling box(es) before tossing something into a garbage bin but with time, it’ll become second nature to do so. I’ve been bitten by the recycling bug so badly that I separate the clear plastic bit above facial tissue (kleenex) boxes and throw that part away before recycling the cardboard portion. You too can get to this level, I promise you.
September 4th, 2007 at 8:23 pm
In the country, everything goes into the recycling bin. I think they just put it in the same truck as the garbage anyways.