Recycling is not so hard, yet it is one of the best ways you can do something positive for the environment. Your home is one place where you can find plenty of items to recycle.

If you have the room, you can even set out labeled containers and use them to sort recyclable items. Plastic garbage cans are perfect for this project.

The easiest items to sort are plastic, glass and cardboard. If you drink soda pop from aluminum cans, there should be a container especially for those cans. While you are at it, check with your local schools and churches to see if they collect the pop tops from these cans. Another use for the pop tops is to make household items. A Google search can give you ideas on what can be made with aluminum pop tops. Novica, a division of National Geographic sells beautifully crafted purses from aluminum pop tops.

Most towns have recycling centers. Find out where the one in your community is located so you can dispose of your recycled material properly. Towns often have a day set aside for hazardous waste disposal. Check to see what items they take and have a container especially for those items. Extreme care should be taken in storing hazardous wastes.

Towns that don’t have a recycling center may have large containers in a designated area where you can bring recyclables. These containers are emptied on a regular schedule.

Since you know why recycling is important, if your town doesn’t have recycling containers, or a recycling center, you need to find out why. Contact your government officials, either in person or by writing them a letter, to voice your concerns over the fact that recycling is not available for the citizens. If containers are not readily available, people will not be motivated to recycle.

Once you have your recycling program at home working, consider expanding your recycling efforts to your workplace and your schools. If you have children, they should be taught at an early age to recycle. After all, recycling is important for their future. Schools must have recycling programs in place to set a good example. Creative recycling programs are very exciting for children, and this excitement is often brought to the home. Parents are then encouraged by the children to recycle.

Offices and health care facilities are one of the largest consumers of our natural resources, yet many of these facilities do not have an active recycling program.

People need to be educated on why recycling is important and the benefits it has for our environment. The same items that are recycled at home can easily be recycled in the work place. Encouraging employees to avoid the use of paper cups and plastic water bottles (unless they are refilled at home), and to recycle computer paper and aluminum cans.

In order to complete the cycle of reduce, recycle, and reuse, purchasing products that have been made from recycled products is a must. Buying paper products, such as greeting cards, napkins, and computer paper that are made from recycled paper is essential to complete the cycle. Your use of these products shows your support for the recycling effort.

Another simple way to help the environment is by using “green” bags instead of plastic bags when you are grocery shopping. Every bit of plastic that has ever been manufactured is still in existence. Plastic takes hundreds of years to degrade. A reusable grocery bag helps keep those plastic bags out of the landfills.

Everyone is beginning to realize why recycling is important, but many people can’t be bothered to recycle. Education and readily available recycling centers is essential if we are to save this environment.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/why-is-recycling-important-697194.html

About the Author
Beverly Saltonstall is an environmental writer. Visit http://totalrecyclingwebsite.com for news, podcasts, articles and guides covering many aspects of recycling. To understand recycling, read Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Recycling, But Never Dared to Ask. (available on website)

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Why is recycling important?

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, there is about 250 million tons of garbage produced in the United States each year. We can try to decrease this amount by recycling. Many materials can be reused and even though they may look like unnecessary pieces of garbage, they may be still useful when they are delivered to recycling centers. By recycling we can save natural resources (such as water, timber and minerals) in order to save the land from being polluted by garbage dumps, as well as reduce contamination of water and air.

What and how to recycle?

If you want to live environmentally friendly, you should recycle: newspapers, glass, metal objects, and plastics. Most of the garbage that can be recycled will be collected from your home, but sometimes you may have to visit one of many recycling centers on your own. If you have some appliances or electronics to recycle, you should find a drop-off spot in your area. Some things can be sold at buy-back recycling centers – for example a car or metal products. If you have toxic or hazardous materials, you should dispose of them in their designated places.

Some facts and figures

According to EPA, U.S. citizens managed to recycle 83 million tons garbage in 2008 which gives a recycle rate of 33%. This is a good score; however some European countries manage to recycle up to 60% of their waste. What is important, it gave a reduction of 182 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions. The best results can be seen in case of recovery of auto batteries (99%), office-type paper (72%) and steel cans (63%).

To sum things up, recycling is necessary if we want to save our planet for future generations. It helps not only to decrease the amount of waste that surrounds us, but also to preserve some natural resources and reduce the pollution of soil, water and air. If you want to support the idea of recycling, you should not only sort your garbage and return it to recycling centers, but also purchase products made of recycled materials.

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Recycling is an easy and effective way to save the environment. There are so many everyday objects in the home that can be recycled but instead are thrown away. By recycling them you can save trees, water, electricity, and many other natural resources. When you recycle your items you save landfill space and also they can be used to make new products so that natural resources are not used to make new products. Other benefits include cutting back on global warming, improving quality of ground water, reducing landfill overfill, providing a more energy efficient society, and many more environmental and economical advantages.

Whether your trash service provides recycling or you find a local center, you are taking a small but important step in saving the environment. You might be surprised to learn how many things you are throwing away on a daily basis that can easily be recycled. The object is to eliminate consumer waste and help save the environment. Imagine landfills vastly overfilled because no one recycles or cares to. Saving air quality and reducing ground water pollutants is also an important step to keeping our environment clean and inhabitable.

Not a recycler? Contacting your trash service or local recycling center is a great first step. Another way is to examine the things you throw away every day and see what is recyclable. One person does make a huge difference on the environment and recycling is a great step in saving the environment by eliminating waste in landfills and saving natural resources.

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Book recycling is becoming more and more common as companies and people are converting to computers. Whether it’s reading an e-book, an instruction manual, or looking up research material, you may not need these types of books as much as in the past. The push to eliminate paper waste is growing among many companies and people as they do there best to reduce the amount of paper waste. This is where book recycling comes into play.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) paper and paperboard products represent the largest portion of our municipal waste. Paper and paperboard products account for 33% of all the waste collected. In 2008, a record-high 57.4 percent of the paper consumed in the U.S. was recovered for recycling.

There are programs in place that are geared towards recycling, but many recycling programs may not even do book recycling. Those that do recycling my charge a subscription fee or are heavily subsidized by tax money. There are a handful of companies who currently do not charge any money for book recycling. How do you find a recycling center that does book recycling? Read on and find out.

Companies are available that take the extra time and resources to process books and actually recycle them back into paper. Why is it so difficult to recycle books? Hardbound books are hard to recycle because of their heavy glue content, vinyl and low fiber content; most unused or obsolete hardback books end up in the landfill. Under some cases, these books are recycled through mulching and becoming compost or insulation.

Listed below are a few familiar products that are made from recycled paper:

Masking tape

Dust masks

Bandages

Coffee filters

Lamp shades

Insulation

Damaged or obsolete books can hurt the environment. You can reduce your impact on the environment by recycling your damaged or obsolete books. Book recycling can help the environment by: reducing energy and water consumption, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, saving considerable landfill space, and decreasing the need for disposal such as landfill or incineration which decreases the amount of CO2 produced.

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The markets across the globe are filled with recycled promotional gifts. Due to environmental concerns, more and more people are using recycled products and therefore there has been an upsurge in the demand of recycled items. Due to increased demand, there are large varieties of eco-friendly recycled promotional gifts available in the market. Go to any gifts shop and you will find many varieties of recycled products which can be used as promotional products. You have recycled paper bags, recycled pencils and  many other useful products which are manufactured with recycled materials. The large varieties of recycled promotional gifts offer an opportunity to companies to promote their products through recycled promotional gifts. Due to the availability of many varieties of recycled products, companies are increasingly using them as promotional gifts for their customers.  At Ideasbynet, our online shop, we have around hundred varieties of recycled items which are perfect for gifting. Some of the attractive recycled promotional items available in our shop include:-

In addition to promotional products mentioned above, there are many items like recycled coasters orrecycled paper bags  made from recycled materials which are good as business gifts. To know in detail about recycled promotional gifts and its role in promotional campaigns, please visit our online shop by clicking at www.ideasbynet.com.

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Recycling is not so hard, yet it is one of the best ways you can do something positive for the environment. Your home is one place where you can find plenty of items to recycle.
If you have the room, you can even set out labeled containers and use them to sort recyclable items. Plastic garbage cans are perfect for this project.
The easiest items to sort are plastic, glass and cardboard. If you drink soda pop from aluminum cans, there should be a container especially for those cans. While you are at it, check with your local schools and churches to see if they collect the pop tops from these cans. Another use for the pop tops is to make household items. A Google search can give you ideas on what can be made with aluminum pop tops. Novica, a division of National Geographic sells beautifully crafted purses from aluminum pop tops.
Most towns have recycling centers. Find out where the one in your community is located so you can dispose of your recycled material properly. Towns often have a day set aside for hazardous waste disposal. Check to see what items they take and have a container especially for those items. Extreme care should be taken in storing hazardous wastes.
Towns that don’t have a recycling center may have large containers in a designated area where you can bring recyclables. These containers are emptied on a regular schedule.
Since you know why recycling is important, if your town doesn’t have recycling containers, or a recycling center, you need to find out why. Contact your government officials, either in person or by writing them a letter, to voice your concerns over the fact that recycling is not available for the citizens. If containers are not readily available, people will not be motivated to recycle.
Once you have your recycling program at home working, consider expanding your recycling efforts to your workplace and your schools. If you have children, they should be taught at an early age to recycle. After all, recycling is important for their future. Schools must have recycling programs in place to set a good example. Creative recycling programs are very exciting for children, and this excitement is often brought to the home. Parents are then encouraged by the children to recycle.
Offices and health care facilities are one of the largest consumers of our natural resources, yet many of these facilities do not have an active recycling program.
People need to be educated on why recycling is important and the benefits it has for our environment. The same items that are recycled at home can easily be recycled in the work place. Encouraging employees to avoid the use of paper cups and plastic water bottles (unless they are refilled at home), and to recycle computer paper and aluminum cans.
In order to complete the cycle of reduce, recycle, and reuse, purchasing products that have been made from recycled products is a must. Buying paper products, such as greeting cards, napkins, and computer paper that are made from recycled paper is essential to complete the cycle. Your use of these products shows your support for the recycling effort.
Another simple way to help the environment is by using “green” bags instead of plastic bags when you are grocery shopping. Every bit of plastic that has ever been manufactured is still in existence. Plastic takes hundreds of years to degrade. A reusable grocery bag helps keep those plastic bags out of the landfills.
Everyone is beginning to realize why recycling is important, but many people can’t be bothered to recycle. Education and readily available recycling centers is essential if we are to save this environment.

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Saving money and save the Earth. It’s easier than you think and these 10 tips can get you started.

1. House plants actually clean the air you breathe, so have several. Spider Plants actually absorb toxic gases such as formaldehyde (found in new carpets and furniture) and Gerbera Daisies absorb benzene (found in petrochemicals such as plastics and pesticides). The only warning is that is you have small children or pets, don’t get poisonous plants such as chrysanthemums and aloe vera.

2. Save heat when the fireplace is on. An open fireplace wastes up to 85% of the gas it uses because, like a wood-burning fireplace, the fire sucks heat from inside and sends it out through the chimney. Direct-vent gas fireplaces burn more efficiently and can save you money.

3. Have it fixed instead of throwing it out. With the price of many consumer goods getting less and less every year, it’s tempting to simply replace old electronics and appliances when they break. But often they can be repaired for a fraction of the cost. Not only do you save money, but you’re keeping that item out of the landfill.

4. Giving gifts is fun. Filling landfills with gift wrapping isn’t good for your wallet or the environment. So when you give a gift, wrap it with creativity. Use the colorful comics in the newspaper or consider left-over wallpaper or even kitchen cupboard paper. If you get a gift bag, re-use it. You can even recycle greeting cards into gift tags. Save money and go green. When you show people your creatively wrapped gift, and explain how you’re helping to save the Earth, you’ll find they appreciate the gift more and maybe they’ll become a little “greener” too.

5. Reuse products whenever possible. Have you ever looked at just how much waste your family generates in a one week period? Manufacturers use so much packaging that it is easy for a family of four to have several bags of waste come garbage day. Next time you’re thinking of throwing something out, try and think of ways you can reuse it instead. For example old containers can be used for storage, stained clothing can be used as rags for cleaning and broken hockey sticks make great garden stakes. If you get creative you may be surprised how many new uses you can find for items you thought were trash!

6. Donating your still useful items is a great way to get a tax deduction and to help your community. Many charities such as Goodwill, the Salvation Army, the Cancer Society (the list is endless) operate thrift shops and the thrift shops provide a great deal of their funding. You can also find great bargains there too. So give it ways and check out the merchandise, you may find a treasure.

7. How many trees are cut down for junk mail? Who knows – but who needs it? Not me and probably not you. Tell the post office you don’t want junk mail and if it still gets through, tell the marketeers themselves to take you off their list. This archaic way of doing business is hrmful to the environement and if enough people tell them to stop it, they will.

8. Rechargeable batteries cost a little more, but they will save you money and help keep toxic metals out of the landfills. You can even find solar powered rechargers on the internet. How cool is that?

9. Find out what you can recycle. Different cities accept different items for recycling. It is important that you know exactly what is being recycled in your area. A lot of people put out items week after week thinking they are being recycled when in fact they are being thrown in the garbage at the recycling facility. By knowing the policies in your city you can avoid buying products that are not sold in recyclable containers and you can ensure you are putting out all of your garbage that can be recycled.

10. All households have some hazardous material that will eventually be thrown away. It is important that old tires, paint thinner, broken electronic items and even mercury filled thermometers be disposed of properly or they will pollute the landfill and can even pollute the water table that supplies drinking water. Fortunately, most communities have hazardous waste disposal days or drop off points and all citizens should use them. It’s smart and it will really help save the world for your kids and grandkids.

These are just a few of the many ways to help the environment and save money too. Use the internet to find many other tips and ideas for going green.

Rylan Waverly has been “going green” for over 15 years. He creates interesting blogs and participates in online discussions and “real world” conventions about creating a green future. One of his favorite websites is gogreen.com-webnews. He believes it has the most current news, information, interesting blogs and videos that can help anyone who is seeking real knowledge about living a green life.

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Using recycling containers to remove excess waste from your place of business is a cost-effective and environmentally conscious practice. Because there are no additional costs for removal of waste from recycle bins and because there is virtually no additional work on the business owner’s part to dispose of recyclables properly, adding recycling bins to the waste removal process is a growing trend among today’s forward thinking businesses.
How Business Recycling Works
Most people today are familiar with and take pride in recycling efforts – meaning that employees will do the sorting for you when recycle bins are placed next to trash cans in the office. Once the recycling bins are filled, they are then taken outside to be picked up by your local recycling company – usually at no cost.
If recycling is a new process for your business, you’ll need to make a quick phone call to your local recycling center alerting them to put your business on their route. Recycling centers normally do not charge businesses for the service of emptying recycle bins. The recycling center receives profits for the recycled material, thus offsetting the cost of pickup.
Recycling Bin Placement and Selection
To make the pick up of the recycling bins trouble-free, make sure that you are placing your recycle bins in an area that will be easily accessible by the hauling truck. When planning the placement of the recycling bins, think the process through to determine the most convenient spot for both you and the recycling company.
Your recycling bins may be used both inside to collect materials and then wheeled outside for pickup. In this case, you’ll want to choose recycle bins that are narrow enough to fit through the door closest to the recycling bin pickup location.
Safety and regulations are other items that need to be considered when hiring waste removal services. Depending on the laws in the local area, there may be different restrictions regarding the size and placement of a recycling bin. Waste removal services will also have recommendations to follow such as how full to fill the bins and where they can place the bin.
Eliminating Additional Steps Involved with Waste Recycling
What and how the recycling bin is filled plays an important role in the removal process of recycled material. Before purchasing recycling bins, you’ll want to talk with your local recycling partner to determine how they prefer the recycled materials to be sorted. Armed with this information, you can then purchase recycling bins with slots for different types of recyclables so that employees will naturally do all of the sorting for you.
Committing to environmentally conscious business practices is not only good for the environment; it makes sense from a business standpoint. The more recyclables you can filter out from trash containers, the less municipal waste you will generate. This reduces the likelihood of having additional municipal waste, and therefore additional waste removal fees. Following a few helpful hints on choosing and placing recycle bins will ensure that your recycling program is operating at maximum efficiency and requires as little time and ongoing effort as possible.

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Recycled Paper:  Exploding the MythsPaper and paper products are the largest single component of society’s waste stream.  The movement to recycle paper and manufacture products is primarily an effort to reduce the amount of costly, disposable waste.  When we choose to use recycled paper for our businesses and homes, we don’t have to sacrifice quality.  Recycled paper is readily available in many high quality grades meeting the same technical specifications as virgin (tree) paper.  The quality of recycled paper has improved significantly over the years, so that it performs well in office copiers, fax machines, printers and printing machines.

The First Paper Mill in the U.S.  RecycledBelieve it or not, the very first paper mill originated in the U.S. colonies in 1690 close to Philadelphia, and operated as a recycling mill.  The paper mill created paper from recycled cotton and rags.  It wasn’t until the 1800s that papermakers learned to make paper from trees.  Back then papermakers thought the resources of the forest were limitless and capable of constantly renewing itself.  Today we realize that our natural resources do have limits and sustainable alternatives must be implemented to protect the world’s environment.

Just the FactsRecycled paper is widely used in products today.  Newspapers, magazines, books catalogs, direct mail, tissue and towel products, packaging products and more use recycled paper.  Still, there are many myths surrounding recycling and recycled paper.

Myth 1: Recycled paper doesn’t have a professional appearance.You can easily find a variety of quality and grades available.  You’ll find paper made just for business cards, letterhead, and brochures, tissue and towel papers and more just as easily in recycled paper products.  Recycled paper is often cost-comparative to virgin paper.

Myth 2: It doesn’t make sense to buy recycled products because they cost more. In the instances where recycled paper does cost more than virgin paper, the average cost difference is generally around 10 to 20-percent.  The tremendous benefits to the environment outweigh this cost difference in the end.

Myth 3: You compromise quality when you go with recycled paper products. When recycled paper was first introduced, it was known for being discolored and uneven in texture and appearance.  Today’s recycled paper products with even 100-percent post consumer content are comparable in quality to virgin paper products.

Myth 4: All paper is recycled now anyway.Actually post-consumer recycled paper comprises only about 10-percent of the printing and stationary market.  90-percent of these industries still use virgin paper.

Myth 5: The poor quality of recycled paper creates paper jams in machines.You should have no problem finding quality, recycled paper to use in printers, fax machines copiers and other equipment.  Whether you are using recycled paper or virgin paper the key is to pick the right paper for the task (e.g. copier paper for the copier).

Myth 6: The fibers in recycled paper create excess dust which can damage machinery.This is not just a recycled paper issue.  Whether you choose recycled paper or virgin paper, make sure to use high quality paper to reduce the incidence of dust.

Myth 7: Tree-free and chlorine-free recycled paper is the best.This is an example of misused definitions.  “Tree-free” refers to an alternative fiber source such as hemp, kenaf or cotton which is used to make the paper.  “Chlorine-free” refers to the bleaching process.  These terms are not directly related to the recycling process.  Most recycled papers however, are classified as processed chlorine-free (PCF) which makes them environmentally friendly in this additional way.

Myth 8: Burning paper for energy is much better than recycling.
Paper can be recycled over and over multiple times.  This saves trees, water, energy and reduces pollution, increasing the value of recycling.

Myth 9: Recycling paper damages the environment.Ultimately, recycling conserves the environment by saving trees, water and energy.  However, there is a sludge produced from recycling as in virgin paper production.  Most sludge tests non-toxic, but toxic sludge can be properly disposed of.

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Crushing down plastic soda bottles, crushing aluminum cans, putting your empty bottles in a can; taking all of this down to the recycle store, this is what people call RECYCLING. But, there’s more to it. Nowadays recycling has become reincarnation for these used products; you can turn medicine bottles into life jackets and old running shoes into new playground surfacing. Discover how and where to recycle everything you never thought you could…

Clothing

Goodwill provides job training to people with special needs, and affordable clothing and other household goods. Pick-up service is typically provided, but you can also drop off clothing at any location. Use the ZIP code locator at www.goodwill.org to find a location near you.

Salvation Army runs many social service programs such as homeless services and disaster-relief efforts. Drop off your items at any of its thrift stores nationwide, or arrange to have them picked up. To find a location near you go to www.salvationarmyusa.org
Fleece

Patagonia’s Common Threads Garment Recycling Program will recycle your used Patagonia fleece, Polartec fleece from other manufacturers and Patagonia organic cotton t-shirts. Please make sure you wash them first before you take them to any Patagonia store.

Did you know? Patagonia will also recycle your Patagonia Capilene underwear, washed of course.
Formal Dresses

The Glass Slipper Project collects new and almost-new formal dresses and accessories and provides them, free of charge, to high school students who are unable to buy their own ensembles for Prom.

Shoes

Turn in your old athletic shoes, any brand, to Nike’s Reuse-A-Shoe program so they can be ground up into new material and used in a different way to make new sports surfaces and playground surfacing.

Recycle your old Crocs and they will be shredded to make padding for children’s playgrounds. Mail them to: Crocs 1510 Nelson Road, Longmont, CO 80501 and clearly mark the outside of the package with “RECYCLE!”

Gently worn shoes can be donated to Soles4Souls which is a nonprofit organization that will clean them and distribute them worldwide to those in need. Recently more than 900,000 pairs of shoes were collected in a coordinated relief effort for donation to victims of the Asian Tsunami, and Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. So round up those shoes that are taking up space in your closet, bind each pair together with a rubber band, and send them to one of Soles4Soul’s two warehouse facilities.
Wedding dresses

By donating your dress to “Brides Against Breast Cancer” you will enable brides-to-be to find one-of-a-kind gowns at discount prices and the proceeds will help grant a wish for a woman with terminal breast cancer.

Nearly New Bridal is an online marketplace where you can buy or sell new or nearly new wedding dresses and accessories

Work Clothes

Dress for Success is a group providing a business suit or other clothing appropriate for the workplace to women needing outfits for job interviews and, after they get the job, a second suit to wear to work. There are 66 chapters in the U.S. and 78 in other countries. Donate business clothing, coats, shoes, handbags, and briefcases that are in excellent condition and no more than five years old. Clothing in size 14 and up is especially welcome.

Electronics

The Electronics Industry Alliance (EIA) maintains a listing of organizations nationwide that accept donations of working electronics products. You can also donate electronics in working condition to Salvation Army or Goodwill or trade them in exchange for a Circuit City gift card.

To recycle non-working electronics search Earth 911′s database for electronics recycling, also known as ecycling, in your area.

ElectronicsRecycling.com is an online marketplace, where you can buy or sell used electronics or pieces of electronics.
Batteries

All single-use (alkaline) or rechargeable batteries can be taken to any Whole Foods Market or Radioshack for recycling. Rechargeable batteries can be recycled at any recycling kiosk within Best Buys nationwide. Rechargeable Apple product batteries can be recycled at any Apple retail location in the U.S.
Cell phones

Verizon Wireless retail stores accept phones in any condition, from any service provider. The phones are either refurbished or recycled. With the funds raised from the sale of refurbished phones, Verizon donates wireless phones and airtime to victims of domestic violence.

Did you know? If you don’t want to leave the house, the number one hassle free way to recycle your phone is through Charitable Recycling. Print out a nifty prepaid mailing label on your home computer, paste it to an envelope and drop your old phone in.
Computer

Some local Goodwills train workers to refurbish and de-manufacture equipment and resell systems and components. Find out what types of electronic equipment may be donated at your local Goodwill.

With Hewlitt Packard’s Trade-In program you can send in used HP products and get cash back when upgrading to new ones. HP does their own in-house recycling. Apple offers free take-back and recycling of your old computer and monitor, regardless of manufacturer, when you purchase a new Mac.
Digital Cameras

Donate older models of digital cameras to a good cause. Operation Home Front distributes cameras to military bases and military family support groups so that families can trade images and stay in contact.
iPods

Recycle it for free at any Apple retail store, where they offer environmentally friendly disposal and a 10% discount on the purchase of a new iPod.
Printer

Hewlitt Packard’s simple and environmentally sound take-back program is your best bet. Return any piece of computing hardware from any manufacturer, including printers to Hewlitt Packard who will recycle your old items for you.
Printer cartidges

FedEx Kinko’s accepts used Inkjet and Toner cartridges. Staple’s accepts used Inkjet or Laser Toner cartridges. Simply return your printer cartridges to a FedEx Kinko’s or Staples retail branch and they will take care of the recycling for you.

Stereo

For a nominal fee, Best Buy will haul away televisions, computer monitors, and appliances when new purchases are made or delivered. Best Buy also hosts a series of weekend recycling events at its store parking lots across the U.S. Find a Best Buy recycling event in your area.
Televisions

Televisions contain toxic materials which can contaminate the environment if broken in a landfill. In 1997 the U.S. EPA declared computer monitors and TV screens as hazardous waste and banned them from landfills. Because of their toxic nature there is usually a fee to recycle televisions. For a nominal fee, Best Buy will haul away televisions, computer monitors, and appliances when new purchases are made or delivered. Best Buy also hosts a series of weekend recycling events at its store parking lots across the U.S. Find a recycling event in your area

You can donate TVs in good working condition to the Salvation Army, Goodwill or other thrift stores.
Household items

If your household items are in good shape, then you can donate them for reuse to the Salvation Army, Goodwill and other thrift stores. Or you can give them to Habitat for Humanity and help make affordable housing a little homier. Search Earth 911 for donation spots in your area.
Appliances

Donate working toasters, blenders, microwaves, etc. to your local Habitat for Humanity and help make affordable housing a little homier.
Cutlery/utensils

Not all curbside recycling programs accept metal cutlery. These can be donated for reuse to the Salvation Army, Goodwill or thrift stores. Find out more about your municipal recycling program from the National Recycling Coalition.

Furniture

Freecycle.com is an international grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (and getting) stuff for free in their own towns. One person’s trash is another person’s treasure! Everything posted on Freecycle is free; individuals and groups work out their own bartering systems.  Sell it on Craig’s List and you make the arrangements with the buyer for pick-up/drop-off.  Or if eBay is your seller of choice, consider using Mission Fish to support your favorite causes through trading on eBay. A portion of the profits go to a nonprofit of your choosing, and you get a tax deductible receipt!

Excess Access serves both charities and the environment by matching your unwanted household materials with the wish-lists of nearby nonprofits that can provide pick-ups or accept drop-offs.

Donate furniture and other household goods to Goodwill International, Salvation Army, or the Vietnam Veterans of America (who will pick it up from the sidewalk in front of your house). One main source of funding for the Vietnam Veterans of America is through the solicitation and resale of donated household items.

Pots and pans

Not all curbside recycling programs recycle metal pots and pans. These can be donated for reuse to the Salvation Army, Goodwill or thrift stores. Find out more about your municipal recycling program from the National Recycling Coalition.

Tools

Donate tools to your local Habitat for Humanity where they can be put to good use building affordable housing.
I didn’t know I could recycle this:

Don’t give up on your stuff! There’s a better option than the trash and we found it. Scroll through our list and find out how to recycle everything from makeup to eyeglasses, paint, light bulbs, and even your toothbrush.
Aresol cans

Most curbside recycling programs accept empty aerosol cans sorted with other glass and metal recyclables. Find out if yours does too at the Earth 911 website.
Eyeglasses

Drop off your old prescription eye glasses, or even non-prescription sunglasses at a LensCrafters near you. LensCrafter’s charity, Give the Gift of Sight provides free vision care and eyewear to under-privileged individuals in North America and developing countries around the world. Or, send them to Lions in Sight, another organization bringing basic eye care and eyeglasses to the needy.
Hangers

Sort wire hangers with other glass and metal recyclables for curbside recycling pick-up.

Your local dry cleaners will happily accept and reuse your old wire or plastic hangers on new customers.
Light Bulbs

Unfortunately you can’t sort these with other types of glass for recycling. Most states do not have special requirements for the disposal of regular household mercury-containing flourescent or incandescent light bulbs. To keep more light bulbs from ending up in landfills, buy a compact flourescent (CFL) bulb; it lasts for years longer than regular incandescent bulbs. Lamp Recycle keeps a list of companies that do recycle light bulbs and the states that regulate them.
Makeup

You should only keep concealer, lipstick, eye and lip liners, fragrances, powders, blushes, and shadows for a year and a half to two years. But there are still ways to practice sustainable beauty. One good way is to reusable compact cases for eyeshadows, blushes, and powders, and then just buy the refills when you run out. Stila makeup sells cheek and eye colors separate from their refillable compact case ($2). All of M.A.C.’s plastic packaged cosmetics are recyclable. Return six used items at any M.A.C. counter and receive a free lipstick in return.

Did you know that Cargo’s PlantLove lipsticks come in a compostable lipstick case made from corn? This revolutionary bio-plastic is not only made from a renewable resource, it’s also greenhouse gas neutral, which helps us fight global warming. What’s more, you can plant the box the lipstick comes in and it will grow wildflowers!
Paint

Sort dried-out paint cans with other glass and metal recyclables for curbside pick-up. Remove the lid first and allow paint to dry fully, so that turned upside down, nothing spills out.

Donate new or leftover paint to your local Habitat for Humanity and make affordable housing homier.

Toothbrushes

The online retail website Toothbrush Express offers a toothbrush recycling program. Sign up to receive new toothbrushes at predefined intervals ranging from monthly to semi-annually. And for a few dollars extra the company will include pre-paid postage with each shipment for you to send back your old ones.

Another wise eco-choice is the Terradent line of toothbrushes from Eco-Dent. These innovative toothbrushes have replaceable heads, so that once the bristles have worn out, consumers can retain the toothbrush handle and just snap on a new head, thus minimizing waste.

The handle of a Recycline Preserve toothbrush, designed by dentists, is made out of recycled plastic from Stonyfield Yogurt cups. When you’ve finished using it you can either put it out on the curb with other recyclables (if your community offers #5 plastics recycling), or send it back to Recycline in a pre-paid envelope supplied to you with your purchase. It will likely then be reborn again as raw material for a picnic table, deck, boardwalk or other long lasting durable product.If you just can’t live without your electric toothbrush we’ve got something for you!

Radius offers stylish sustainable toothbrushes made from naturally occurring cellulose derived from sustainable yield forests. They have a battery-powered electric Intelligent Toothbrush that uses replaceable heads to reduce environmental impact. The company will take back the handle for recycling once the battery is worn out, usually after about 18 months.
Paper

In 2006 a record 53.4 percent of the paper consumed in the U.S. (53.5 million tons) was recovered for recycling. Paper is generally divided into high and low grades in reference to the quality of the paper or pulp and can be sorted together for curbside recycling pick-up.
Books

If your household items are in good shape, then you can donate them for reuse to the Salvation Army, Goodwill and other thrift stores. Search Earth 911 for donation spots in your area.
High grade paper

Sort with other dry paper goods for curbside recycling pick-up. High grade papers are computer print-out, white ledger (office paper) in single sheets or continuous form such as white notebook paper, and colored ledger. High Grade white office paper can be recycled into almost any paper product, including tissue.
Low grade paper

Sort with other dry paper goods for curbside recycling pick-up. Low grade papers are cardboard, newspaper, magazines, and mixed office paper, which is a mixture of various grades including windowed envelopes and sticky notes. Used newspapers are usually made into new newsprint or egg cartons. Used corrugated boxes are recycled into new boxes or paperboard.
mail

Mail is Low Grade paper. It can be sorted with other dry paper goods for curbside recycling pick-up.

Did you know? Registering with the National Do Not Mail List reduces junk mail and removes your name from direct advertising mail lists.
Packaging peanuts

Take your old packing peanuts down to any UPS or Mail Boxes Etc. and they’ll be glad to take them off your hands.
Plastics

The confusion over which plastics can or cannot be recycled continues to confound consumers. While common knowledge indicates that “good” plastics (numbers 1, 2, 4 and 5) are more readily recycled, and “bad” (numbers 3, 6 and 7) aren’t, the truth is, different types of plastic require different processing, and even a small amount of the wrong type of plastic can ruin the reprocessing. Some municipalities accept all types of plastic for recycling, while others accept only jugs, or containers and bottles with certain numbers stamped on the bottoms. The number system we’re familiar with–a single digit ranging from 1 to 7 and surrounded by a the recycling symbol, a triangle of arrows–was designed by The Society of the Plastics Industry in 1988 to allow consumers and recyclers to differentiate types of plastics while providing a uniform coding system for manufacturers. The number symbols are located on the bottom of plastic containers. Sometimes they are small and you have to look hard to find them. Scroll through our list to learn more about which plastics you can recycle.
Plastics 1

Polyethylene terephthalate’s (PETE), commonly found in bottles for soda, water, juice, beer, mouthwash, ketchup, salad dressing, medicine containers, and microwavable food trays are readily accepted by curbside recycling programs. They can be made into fiberfill for winter coats, sleeping bags, life jackets, bean bags, rope, tennis ball felt, combs, cassette tapes, boat sails, furniture, and of course, other plastic bottles.
Plastics 2

High-density polyethylene plastics (HDPE), commonly found in heavier containers that hold laundry detergents and bleaches as well as milk, shampoo, and motor oil are readily accepted by curbside recycling programs. They can be made into toys, piping, lumber, and rope.

Plastics 3

Polyvinyl chloride, commonly found in plastic pipes, shower curtains, medical tubing, vinyl dashboards, and baby bottle nipples, is accepted by few curbside recycling programs due to its low rate of recyclability. Check the Earth 911 website to see if your municipal recycling center accepts number 3′s.
Plastics 4

Low-density polyethylene (LDPE), commonly found in plastic wrapping films for food or dry cleaning, as well as grocery or sandwich bags, is accepted by very few curbside recycling programs. Unfortunately, most plastic bags will end up in the trash. However Whole Foods, Wal-Mart, and Wegman’s Food Marts will recycle any plastic bags if you take them to the store. Check the Earth 911 website to see if your municipal recycling center accepts number 4′s.
Plastics 5

Polypropylene, commonly found in self-sealing containers, like Tupperware, is accepted by very few curbside recycling programs due to its very low rate of recyclability. Check the Earth 911 website to see if your municipal recycling center accepts number 5′s.
Plastics 6

Polystyrene (Styrofoam), commonly found in coffee cups, disposable cutlery, meat trays, packing peanuts, and insulation are widely accepted by curbside recycling programs. They can be made into cassette tapes and insulation. Check the Earth 911 website to see if your municipal recycling center accepts number 6′s. You can also take Styrofoam or packing peanuts that are clean and in good condition to any UPS Store or Mail Boxes Etc. for recycling.
Plastics 7

Mixed or layered plastics have virtually no recycling potential. These are usually imprinted with a number 7 or nothing at all. Ambitious consumers can feel free to return such items to the product manufacturers to avoid contributing to local waste. Check the Earth 911 website to see if your municipal recycling center accepts number 7′s.

For more information on recycling and waste hauling, visit: www.encorewaste.com

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