The Right Way to Recycle

Reduce Reuse Recycle

We’ve all heard this mantra but have you stopped to check you’re doing it correctly? In truth, many of us aren’t aware of the finer details required to recycle correctly, and this ignorance means our well-meaning efforts are going to waste!

So take a lil minute to read through some of these common recycling mistakes and misconceptions so you can level up your recycling game!

THE FOLLOWING ITEMS ARE NOT RECYCLABLE

• Plastic bags

• Bubble wrap

• Plastic wrapping/ packaging

• Saran wrap

• Most disposable coffee cups (P.S get a keep cup!)

• Small items such as bottle tops, coffee pods, tin lids, paper clips. If the cap is secured to the bottle it can be included. If small items are loose they can clog the recycling machinery!!!

• Mixed materials - this means items that combine materials such as plastic and cardboard

It’s important to keep non-recyclables out of the recycling because they contaminate the items that should be there! This means risking the recyclables ending up in landfill along with those non-recyclable items that have contaminated that load of trash. 

CLEAN BEFORE YOU RECYCLE

If organic waste is left in the items being recycled, they will become contaminated, risking them ending up in landfill. So you need to take a moment to clean items such as jars and bottles and make sure they are dry and don’t contain any remaining liquids. 

While recycling can have a significant positive impact on the environment, let’s not forget the other two actions in that tagline REDUCE AND REUSE...

• Buy items with less unnecessary packaging

• Take your own bags to the grocery store rather than using the plastic or paper ones supplied there. And if you do need to use one, don’t just throw it in the trash, find ways to reuse it after you bring it home!

• Look for items that are not wrapped in plastic or choose items that use recyclable packaging when doing your groceries and when buying everyday items

• Repurpose or donate old clothes and shoes rather than throwing them in the trash. And really think about whether you need new clothing items before buying!

• Look for opportunities to reuse items before throwing them out, such as reusing your jars as glasses or vases, or even your Blessed tub for storing pantry staples like flour when buying from the wholefoods store. 

• Compost food scraps rather than tossing in the trash and look into whether you could even start growing your own food, even if it’s just a little herb garden on your window sill!

• Do not throw electronics such as old cell phones and batteries in the trash, dispose of these at drop off points so they can be recycled.

• Recycle all forms of paper, not just newspaper, such as wrapping paper, birthday cards, envelopes etc.

• Encourage your workplace to start a recycling initiative if there isn’t one already and share this article with them to ensure your coworkers are doing things correctly too!

Helping the planet can seem like an overwhelming undertaking, but there are countless easy, everyday things you can do that make a real difference! The key is turning these little actions into habits, spreading the word and making sure you’re well informed!

Happy recycling!