Now that we are a couple of months into the New Year, this is a good time to review how and what your family isr ecycling. Even if you didn’t make a New Year’s resolution, it’s never too late to resolve to recycle.
Here are some tips to get you started:
- Communicate with your family what they should be recycling. Periodically check in with your local recycling program to see if they have expanded what you’re able to put in your recycling bin or drop off at your local recycling station. When people know what things they can recycle and where they should put the recycling, they are more likely to remember to recycle.
- Make a point to remind your family how easy it is to recycle. Recycling household materials like glass, plastic, paper and aluminum is simple. Many New Year’s Resolutions take huge time commitments or a monetary investment, recycling is relatively easy and just requires a recycling bin.
- If you have harder to recycle items in your household like ink cartridges or batteries, be sure to have a plan for those items. A well-marked container for holding those items along with knowing where they can be dropped off for recycling just takes a little preparation on your part. Along with your location recycling program, most big box retailers and grocery stores take many other items for recycling like plastic bags and electronics.
- Resolve this year to replace at least one single-use item with a reusable one. For example, if you get coffee on your way to work, get a travel mug and have it filled at your favorite coffee shop. Many coffee shops will give a discount when reusable containers are used.
- If you’re getting rid of gently used furniture or clothing, be sure to donate these items to someplace like a local charity’s thrift store. When items are reused it not only reduces the amount of stuff in our local landfills, it reduced the amount of resources used to produce the items in the first place.
Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.
