Unconventional oil and wind power may be fairly new additions to the green living landscape, but recycling has been around for decades. Recycling got its start about 40 years ago when a United States-based paper company wanted to tell their customers that they recycled. A logo design competition was held and a young man named Gary Anderson won. His design is what is universally recognized as the recycling sign today. How can you win at recycling today? Follow these suggestions.
• We all know the phrase, “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle,” but most people skip right to the third part: recycle. There are two whole steps that come before that, though! When you reduce and reuse, you recycle less - limiting waste is the goal, not finding out the many ways to let someone else use that waste. Recycling is the last step, only to be used after you’ve exhausted the others.
• You may be dropping things into the recycle bin that don’t belong there and you’re probably also not recycling products that do belong there. Find the local recycling guidelines for your area to make sure you’re not trying to recycle things that can’t be processed.
• If you want to seek out companies that go green by recycling or by helping you recycle, that’s great. However, delve a little deeper into their actual program. An infamous recycling program by a coffee company that won’t be named in this article boasts recycling their used coffee pods. However, their “recycling” means shipping the capsules several states away, which creates a huge carbon footprint. Additionally, some companies claim that their products are made from recycled materials, but that doesn’t mean that they’re 100% recyclable, too.
• Don’t just send things off to be recycled - buy recycled items, too! Recycling is cyclical and you should always be in the recycling mindset no matter what part of the buying process you’re at. You can find recycled products no matter what’s on your shopping list: office furniture, paper, clothing, you name it. Also, purchase items that can be recycled so that you can actually complete the circle.
• The phrase “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” doesn’t hold more true than in the art world. Recycled materials are like gold for crafters, artists, and kids who love getting creative. Rubber bands, paper towel tubes, and even old furnishings may be able to be used by the local arts and crafts community.
• Did you know that you can recycle your water? You can have your plumbing arranged so that wastewater from the shower and bathtub, as well as rainwater, are used to flush your toilet.
• For one month, separate your waste into categories (landfill, recyclable materials, aluminum, etc.) and keep track of how much everything weighs. You’ll notice areas where you’re overusing, which will help you make a plan to cut back.
Recycling is so much more than dropping paper into blue bins and bringing your plastic bottles back to the grocery store. Work to make recycling as much of a part of your life as possible.
