Recycling is one of the easiest and most effective ways to reduce the amount of trash in landfills, conserve natural resources and help the environment. However, it’s important not to recycle in a way that compromises the environment or is potentially unsafe.
Here are a few things you need to know:
Recycling cardboard
If the cardboard is clean and not contaminated with food, it’s easy to recycle. The challenge comes when you have large amounts to send to the recycling center. When this is the case, you should use a compactor / baling machine to reduce the cardboard’s volume by compacting it. Securing the cardboard bales is accomplished by using galvanized wire. You can see a range of galvanized stem wire at balingwiredirect.com.
Recycling plastic
Plastic is an easy material to recycle. Usually, you just put the plastic into your bin, and the material is sent on for recycling. However, it’s important to ensure that you are separating out different types of plastic, some of which should not be mixed in recycling bins. You should also be aware that some plastics can leach toxins when they get exposed to weather and should not be recycled.
Recycling pots and pans
Metal items such as old pots and pans can be a challenge to recycle because most home collection services don’t pick them up. However, some home recycling points will accept them. Alternatively, you could try donating them to a goodwill charity or advertising them on Gum Tree or Craigslist.
Recycling mobile devices
This is a challenge for many people, as they are unsure exactly how to recycle their old mobile devices. Here are a few things you can do:
- Donate your old mobile phone to an organization working on recycling it responsibly.
- Try giving your phone to someone else, who could either use it or sell it for money.
- Dispose of your unwanted mobile phone by leaving it at a registered collection point where you can dispose of it safely and responsibly.
- Tell everyone you know about their options for recycling electronics and spread the word so that fewer end up in landfills each year.
Recycling glass
Glass has the benefit of being infinitely recyclable. It can be reused over and over without losing any of its characteristics. However, some steps are needed to maintain the quality. For example, it’s best to separate different colored glass.
Recycling Cloth and Clothes
Clothes and textiles are close to impossible to recycle. Usually, it’s best to donate or sell these items so that they can be reused. Yet, recycling is possible. After collection, items are sorted into reusable items, rags, and fiber. This is fairly labor intensive as it needs to be completed by hand, depending on whether the material is man-made or a natural fiber determines how the material is used.
Man-made or synthetic fibers
Zips and buttons are removed so that the fabric can be shredded and then melted into pellets. These are then used to create new fibers as part of a new polyester manufacturing process.
Natural fibers
Treated with water and soap, the fiber is spun into yarns that can create new textiles.
Recycling carpets and rugs
As with clothing, it is easier to reuse old carpets and rugs than to recycle them.
Recycling is surprisingly easy to do. However, you need to be careful that you are recycling in a way that’s safe and still effective at reducing waste. Always check the guidelines of your local authority.