In recent years, cities across America have made it easier for all of us to recycle. There are thousands of recycling centers, affordable or free recycling programs, as well as plenty of online resources on why to recycle. This resource is for all the beginners out there looking for a comprehensive-yet-simple guide to get started recycling in your apartment.
In just 3 easy steps, you’ll be ready to recycle like a pro. Keep it up, and you will see a significant difference in how much trash your own home sends to the landfill.
1. Find Out Where to Recycle
These days, most apartments offer free recycling along with their usual trash service. You can contact your property manager or landlord or your local trash hauler to find out details on how you should throw out your recycling. Have them answer these essential questions:
- Does all recycling go in one bin, or should it be sorted?
- What recyclables are accepted? What is not accepted?
- Can you use trash bags? Or just bins?
- What days should you take the recycling out to be picked up?
What if your apartment doesn’t have a recycling program? No worries. All you have to do is go online and find the recycling center nearest you. Just type into the search engine “recycling center near me”, or visit your city website to find all the info needed. When it comes time to take out the recyclables, you can haul it in your car, a friend’s car, a zipcar, a cab, or even set up a recycling carpool with like-minded neighbors.
2. Set Up a Recycling System
Now that you know where all this stuff is going, it’s time to set up your own recycling system. If your apartment accepts all recycling in one bin, then just put a single bin next to your trash can. However, in most cases, you will need two or three recycling bins. If there is limited space, stash reusable shopping bags inside one of the kitchen cabinets – one for plastic, one for glass, one for aluminum cans, etc. For the most extensive recycling system, you can set up bins for each of the following (check your local guidelines first because you probably won’t need to sort this much!):
Paper. Small paper waste baskets are the best way to control paper products because they can be placed inconspicuously into any corner of your apartment. These are especially handy for the bedrooms and home office. You can throw all paper, newspapers, magazines, glossy photos, shoe boxes, pizza boxes, mail, manila folders, post it notes, and cardboard here. Paper towels, bath tissue, and used paper plates are generally not accepted.
Plastic. There are 7 classifications for plastic, each with its own recycling requirements. You will need to contact your trash service or local recycling center to find out which plastics they accept. The most commonly recycled plastics are disposable bottles and jugs (although caps may or may not be accepted). Items such as plastic bags, food containers, plastic wrap, plastic toys, and plastic cutlery are usually not accepted.
Glass. All colors of glass bottles and jars can be recycled. However, light bulbs, mirrors, ceramic, crystal, and window glass are usually not accepted.
Metal. Beer and soda cans are the easiest metals to recycle. You can also invest in a small can crusher so you can stockpile a few month’s worth of cans at a time, and take them to the recycling center to cash-in. Your trash collector may or may not accept tin food cans, aluminum foil, and kitchen cookware. Most never accept motor oil cans, paint cans, or other cans that once contained hazardous materials.
Electronics. In addition to the typical plastic-glass-metal bin setup, you may also want to add an electronics bin for items such as old cell phones, laptops, tablets, and computer components. Many places will pay for your old electronics, which is a big win for your wallet and the environment.
Food. Composting in your apartment is another great way to reduce waste. Make this nifty apartment composting bin for all your fruit and veggie food scraps. Then use the compost to replenish potted plants around the apartment.
3. Make It Visitor-Friendly
Once your recycling system is in place, be sure to make it visitor-friendly. Put labels on each recycling bin so that friends and family will know where to throw that empty bottle of wine away! Not only will this help make recycling easier in your own home, but it may inspire others to set up their own recycling systems.
That’s it! Now that you have it all figured out, recycling will be a cinch. By taking the initiative to reduce landfill waste in your own home, you have become part of a larger movement to solve the earth’s trash epidemic. You are now a part of the solution. Kudos!
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