Most people are concerned about recycling items that are used every day. Many communities even have recycling programs that effectively reuse materials which would otherwise be thrown away. As good stewards of our planet, it is important to conserve in whatever way is possible. Some of the items mentioned in this article may not be on your list of recyclables, but you should be aware of them.
Nearly everyone knows that glass can and should be recycled. Glass is used to make containers of many kinds, mostly jars and bottles to store food and drink. It is relatively easy to recycle glass by melting it and forming it into new containers for reuse. Some glass containers can be reused as they are without using the valuable energy used to reform them. Canning jars are a good example of reusing glass.
Plastic possibly has more uses than any other material on the planet. There are several grades of plastic, with most of them being useful for recycling. Most plastic bottles and containers have a code on the bottom that indicates whether or not they can be recycled. Plastic bags used by grocery and retail stores can be recycled and many retail stores have bins available to return your bags.
Most metals have the ability to be recycled, and some companies even pay people who bring in scrap metal. The most valuable metal is copper, and the least valuable is aluminum. Even so, it is well worth the effort to collect any scrap metal you have and haul it to a metal salvage yard.
One of the safest ways to recycle single use batteries is to purchase rechargeable batteries and a charger. In this way, you can charge the batteries when they begin to lose power and use them again. Even though the rechargeable batteries cost more to begin with, the savings in cost makes the expense worth it.
Most paper products like cardboard, grocery bags and newspaper can be recycled. It is important to recycle these products since they were originally made from wood, so recycling reduces the number of trees that need to be harvested to manufacture paper products.
Many products can be reused for something other than the original purpose. Even though people may not think about it much, most of us are reusing products in our lives every day. Cardboard storage boxes can be used to store items for many years if moisture is not present. Newspaper is often used to pack breakable items for shipment or storage. Wooden crates and pallets can be broken down so the boards can be used to build another useful item. Many grocery and retail stores now encourage their customers to purchase and use canvas shopping bags, rather than using plastic bags to haul their purchases home. Someone who is handy with a sewing machine could even make their own shopping bags, using cloth remnants available in fabric stores.
It only makes sense to recycle whatever items you can. It not only saves money for you as a consumer, but it also reduces the amount of waste society creates.
Speak Your Mind