Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle! Here Are 85 Actionable Ways to ...

Don't use a bag in your recycling bin. Don't be that person who puts recyclables inside a non-recyclable plastic bag. Even if you're worried ... SkiptomaincontentLifeMoneyDIYFamilyParentingPetParentCentralTravelSustainabilityFun&GamesGameOn!TheMomThreadTrendingNewsEntertainmentListenMagazineAskMarilynBooksMoviesTVOutlanderLifeMoneyDIYFamilyParentingPetParentCentralTravelSustainabilityFun&GamesGameOn!TheMomThreadFood&DrinkRecipesBakingAdventureChickenRecipesCookingTheEpisodeDessertDinForTheWinEasyMealsFamilyRecipesHealthyRecipesHowToKidFriendlyOnaBudgetPastaPopKitchenTailgatingTheBreakfastClubWhatAmericaEatsPopCultureOlympicsRoyalsCelebsStyleStoryHealth&WellnessAgingWellCaregivingArthritisStarterKitAsthmaStarterKitBladderHealthStarterKitBreastCancerStarterKitColdandFluStarterKitCovid-19StarterKitDiabetesStarterKitHealth&BeautyHealthcareHeartHealthStarterKitHepatitisCStarterKitInfertilityStarterKitInsomniaStarterKitMedicareStarterKitMenopauseStarterKitMentalHealthStarterKitNumbrixSchizophreniaStarterKitSelf-CareSuperSurvivorsStarterKitTelehealthStarterKitHealthyNowHolidaysEasterFather'sDayFourthofJulyMemorialDayMother'sDaySt.Patrick'sDayChristmasHalloweenThanksgivingValentine'sDayNewYear'sEveShoppingGiftGuidesnewsletterAboutParadeContactUsTermsofUsePrivacyPolicyPrivacySettingsAugust14,2022HomeSustainabilityOfthethreeR's—reduce,reuse,andrecycle—it'sthelatterthatwetendtofocusonthemost.Whileit'sequally(ifnotmore)importanttoreduceourconsumptionandreuseitemsasmuchaspossible,recyclingthematerialsthatarealreadyhereintosomethingnewisacrucialwaytoprotecttheenvironment.AccordingtotheEnvironmentalProtectionAgency(EPA),69milliontonsofmunicipalsolidwastewererecycledin2018—a2.2percentincreasefrom2015.Buteventhoughrecyclingprogramsarebecomingmoreaccessibleandmorepeopleareengagingintherecyclingprocess,asevidencedbythedata,there'sstillmoretobedone.Infact,theEPAsayswecouldsave544,000treesifeveryhouseholdintheU.S.justreplacedonerollofvirginfiberpapertowelswithrecycledones.So,asitcurrentlystands,wehavetowonder:Isrecyclingactuallyworking?Whenyourecycle,areyoudoingitcorrectly?Whatcaneachofusdotorecyclebetter?Howcanwedomore?Keepreadingfor85meaningfulwaystorecycle!85WaystoRecycle1.Don't"recycle"orthrowoutfood.Thefirst"do"inhowtorecycleisactuallya"don't."Whenitcomestofoodscrapsandotherorganic,biodegradableitems,skipthebins—recycling,trash,orotherwise—andchoosetocomposttheminstead.Thisway,thesematerialsbreakdownorganicallyandturnintosoil.2.Cleancontainersoutbeforerecycling.Yep—weknow.It'sasuperannoyingstepbutit'sreallycrucialthatyoucleanoutrecyclableitemsbeforethrowingtheminthebin.Allyouhavetodoisasimplerinse(unlessit'saverystickyresidue;thenyoushouldwhipoutthesoapandsponge).Related: SustainableGifts3.Cleanplasticbags.Ifyou'rerecyclingaplasticbagthatisactuallyrecyclable(moreonthatlater),makesuretocleanoutthebag,too.Youshouldremoveanycontents,includingcrumbs,andevengiveitagoodrinse,too.4.Leteverythingdrybeforerecyclingit.Yep—evenwatercandisturbtherecyclingprocessonceit'sgoingthroughthemachinesatthematerialsrecoveryfacility(MRF).5.Greaseisn'trecyclable.Asin,thegreaseisalloveryourpizzabox.Ifthere'ssay,morethanoneortwospotsofgreaseonthatbox,ripthattaintedpartoftheboxoff.Recycleonlythepartoftheboxthat'suntouchedbygrease.6.Breakdowncardboardfirst.Canittechnicallyberecycledwithoutbeingbrokendownfirst?Sure.ButitmakesthingsaheckofaloteasierforemployeesattheMRFifyoudoyourpart!7.Recyclebothcardboardandpaper.Yes,paper andcardboardcanberecycled.Justmakesureit'sthe kindofpaperthatcanberecycled;thisincludeseverythingfromwritingpaper,notebookpaper,stationery,newspapers,magazines,catalogs,phonebooks,paperboardboxes,andmore.However,anythingwithaplastic-y,shinyfilmonit—likeperhapsamagazine cover—maynotberecyclable,sobesuretocheckfirst.8.Movingforward,buyrecycledpaper.Buyrecycledpaperandnotebooks withtherecycledpaperwheneverpossible.Thatway,your"new"purchasegivesnewlifetosomethingold.9.Printonbothsidesofthepaper.Whetheryou'rehandwritingonpaperorprintingoutfromyourcomputer.Bothsides,FTW!10.Useareusablecoffeecup.Wewouldtellyoutorecycle(orreuse!)yourmorningcoffeecup,butyouknowwhat'sbettermoresustainableadvice?Ditchingtheplastic,Styrofoam,orpapercupaltogetherandspringingforareusableinstead.11.Buysecondhand.Insteadofbuyingitemsmadeofvirginmaterials,buyingsecondhandisalwaysthemoresustainableoption.12.Recycleinkandtonercartridges.Didyouknowthatapproximately375millioncartridgesarethrowninthegarbageeachyear?Emptyinkandtonercartridgesfromyourprintermustberecycledproperlyinordertomitigateharmfulsubstancesleachingintotheenvironment.Youcandothisbyeithermailingyouremptycartridgetoanon-manufacturermail-backprogramlikeCash4Tonersordroppingthemoffatyourlocalofficesupplystore.(Staples,OfficeDepot,andothermajorofficesupplyretailersusuallyofferfreerecyclingprograms;Walgreensalsorefillsempties.)Related: 17 EarthDayRecipeIdeasfor Kids13.Buyrecycledproducts.Buyingrecycledproductshasasimilarimpactasbuyingsecondhand.Andbuyingrecycledpaperproductsisn'ttheonlyoptioneither.Plentyofitemsarerecycled—youjusthavetoknowwheretolookandwhattolookfor.Neednewshoes?TryGirlfriendCollective'sRe-Slide—a100percentclosed-loopsandal-slidemadeintheUSA.Notonlyisitmadecompletelyofrecycledmaterials,butitcanalsobefullyrecycled againandmadeinto anothershoe.Now,that'saclosedloop.14.Putrecyclingbinsineachroom.Evenifyoualreadyhavearecyclingbinatthereadyinyourkitchenorgarage,it'stimetodomore.Spreadtherecyclinglovefromroomtoroom,addinginadesignatedrecyclingbinanywhereyou"maketrash." Wantextracredit?Addcompostingbins,too!Afterall,plentyofbathroom-relateditemscanbecompostedratherthanunnecessarilytrashed.15.Learnyourpick-upschedule.Thisone'scrucialandreallydependentonyourcommunityandwhereyoulive.Thebetteryouknowyourpick-upscheduleinsideandout,themorelikelyyouaretorecyclecorrectlyandavoidmissinganypertinentrecyclingdays.16.Recyclebatteriesproperly.BetterBatteryCo.takestheconfusionoutofrecyclingbatteriesproperly.Sincebatteriescan'tbethrownoutandtheycanbetrickytorecycle,BetterBatteryCo.makesiteasierfortheconsumerbyofferingcarbon-neutralbatteriesonasubscriptionservice.OnceyourentirepackofBetterBatterieshasbeendepleted,sendthembackwithitsprepaidshippinglabel.BetterBatteryCo.andtheirpartnerCall2Recyclewillthenhandletherecyclingofallthedepletedbatteries(andpackaging)thecorrectway.So,youdon'thaveto.17.Recycletechnologyproperly.Technologyisanotherdifficultonetorecycleastherearesomanynuanceswiththistypeofrecycling.Whatcomplicatestheprocessmostisthattechisoftenmadeofblackplasticandalso,multiplematerials.Still,it'simportanttodoitcorrectlyasaccordingtotheEPA,Americansareresponsibleforimproperlythrowingoutasmuchas2million tonsofe-wasteannually.Formoreinformationonhowtorecyclee-wastenearyou,visitEPA.gov.Youcanalsodropoffyoure-wasteatGreenMouseRecyclingInc.,athird-partyrecyclingcompanythatexclusivelyfocusesone-waste.18.Don'tuseabaginyourrecyclingbin.Don'tbethatpersonwhoputsrecyclables inside anon-recyclableplasticbag.Evenifyou'reworriedaboutthemessinsidethebin;justdon'tdoit.19.Avoidrecyclinganythingsmallerthanacreditcard.Anythingsmallerthanacreditcardcanstopuprecyclingmachinesandmakethingsreallydifficultfortheemployees(andtechnology)atyourMRF.Thisincludeseverythingfromcoffeepodsandbottlecapstostrawsandpaperclips.20.Knowwhichrecyclablescan'tberecycledcurbside.Someitemsjustsimplycan'tberecycledcurbside,butthatdoesn'tmeanyougiveuponthemandsendthemtothelandfill.Theseitems—whichgenerallyincludeplasticwrap,film,plasticshoppingbagsandthoseair-shippingpillowthings—canbereturnedtostoresthatwillreusethemorproperlyrecyclethem.Checkoutyourlocalofficesupplystoretoseeifthey'lltaketheseitemsback.Related: HowtoQuitSingle-UsePlastic21.Removethebottlecapsfromrecyclablebottles.Thisonecanbeprettycontroversial.Somesaytoremovethem;othersrecommendcompactingthebottle,thenaddingthecapbackon.Eitheroptionisgenerallyacceptable,butwe'regoingtosuggestremovingcapsfromtheplasticbottles(unlessyou'rewillingtocompactthebottlefirst).Formetals,youcankeepthealuminumcaponthere.22.Cutupplasticcanholders.HDPEplasticsthatgenerallyholdsodacansandbeerstogethercanbeveryharmfultomarinelife.Sinceit'sverylightplastic,ithasawayofblowingoffmachinesandlandfillsandendingupinourwaterwayswhereitcanharm,choke,andevenkillwildlife.Toensurethisdoesn'thappen,cutitupintosmallerpiecesbeforetrashing.23.Dropoff plasticgrocerybags.Dropoffplasticgrocerybagsattheappropriatefacilitythatwillensurethey'rerecycledproperly.Or...24.Reuseplasticgrocerybags.Anotheroptionisinfinitelyreusingthem!Reusingisusuallyamoresustainableoptionthanrecycling,soyoucantotallybethatpersonwithanarsenalofreusedplasticgrocerybagsunderthesink.Usethemfortransportingjustaboutanythingasmanytimesasyouneed.Or...25.Returnplasticbagstothegrocerystore.Return'em!Thegrocerystoreandotherplacesmightoffertotakethemback.26.Throwoutitemsmadeofcombinedmaterials.Ifanitemtotesitselfas"recyclable"butismadeofcombinedmaterials,thenitreallyisn'trecyclable.CombinedmaterialswreakhavocatMRFsandcauseawholelotofheadaches.Wheneverpossible,avoidbuyingthesekindsofproductsinthefirstplace,butintheeventthatyouhaveaproductlikethis,that'sreachedtheendofitslife,throwitoutinsteadofrecyclingit.27.Holdontothingsforalittlelongerifyoucan'tfindabin.Outandaboutbuthaveadisposablewaterbottletorecycle?Butyoucan'tfindtheappropriatebin?Holdontoitalittlelongerratherthanthrowingitinthetrash.Waituntilyoucomeacrosstherightrecyclingbinevenifitmeansbringingthatbottleallthewayhomewithyou.28.Learnaboutupcycling.Upcyclingiskindofanotherwordfor"reusing"anitem.Itjustmeanstoturnsomethingintosomethingelse.Forexample,youcouldtransformanoldmilkcartonintoabirdhouseorusetoiletpaperrollstocreateseedstarterpots.That'supcyclingandit'sgreatbecauseyougetnewuseoutofanoldthinganditextendsthatoldthing'slifeinsteadofendingit.29.Fixitemsinsteadofreplacingthem.Beforerecyclingorthrowingoutanitem,tryfixingitfirst.Plentyofthings—likeclothes,forexample—canbepatchedorsewninordertoextendtheirlivesratherthanthrowninthebin.30.Readtheresinidentificationcodesonyourplastic.Realtalk:resinidentificationcodes(RIC).It'sasetofnumbers,anumericalsystem,thepurposeofwhichistoidentifythe typeofplasticresinusedtomaketheitem.Thisiscrucialtoensuringplasticitemsgetproperlyrecycled.Let'sbreakitdowninthesimplestterms:PolyethyleneTerephthalate(PET)is#1.Thisincludesthemostcommonplasticslikesingle-usewaterbottlesandotherdrinkbottles.Intermsofrecyclability,#1sarewidelyaccepted.High-DensityPolyethylene(PE-HD)is#2.Thisincludesthoseplasticgrocerybags,milkjugs,andshampoo/conditionerbottles.These#2sarealsowidelyacceptedatMRFs.PolyvinylChloride(PVC)is#3.Manytoys,foodcontainersorwraps,andevenvinylsidingismadefromPCV.Thisrecyclingavailabilityismorelimited.Low-DensityPolyethylene(PE-LD)is#4.Thinnerplasticbags,somecontainerslikesoapdispensers,andclingwraparegenerallymadefromPE-LD.PE-LDcangenerallyberecycled,buttheavailabilityismorelimited,soyoushouldcheckwithyourlocalMRFbeforerecycling.Polypropylene(PP)is#5.Thisincludesyogurtcups,certainfoodcontainers,andplasticstraws.Generally,#5s canberecycled,butdouble-checkwithyourlocalMRF.Polystyrene(PS)is#6.MostitemsmadefromPolystyreneincludeanythingStyrofoam—likecontainersandcoffeecupsaswellassometakeoutcontainers.Rightnow,notmuchStyrofoamisbeingrecycled,soPolystyrenegenerallycan'tberecycledastheneed/desireforitatMRFsisverylow.Thecatch-all!Number7sconstitutethe"other"category—BPA,polycarbonate,andotherbio-basedplastics.Itemsthatmightbecategorizedas#7sincludewaterbottlesandfoodcontainers.Allinall,most7sarenotrecyclable.However,ifyouritemismadefrombio-basedplastic(itshouldsayonit),thenitcanlikelybecompostedataprofessionalcompostfacility.31.Donatewheneverpossible.Ifyouhavethechoiceofrecycling,throwingout,ordonating,wehopethatyoupickdonatingeverytime.Donatinggivesitemsasecondchanceatlifeandstavesofftheirtriptothelandfill(oranMRF!)justalittlelonger.Thelongerthelifespananitemhas,themoresustainableitcanbe.Ifyou'renotsurewheretobringyourdonations,checkoutcharitieslikeFreecycle and Recycler'sExchange.32.JoinprogramslikeTerraCycle.TerraCycleisameaningfulprogrambecauseitspanstheentireU.S.andismadeupofdifferentsubcategoriesofvariousprograms.They'vepartneredwithallkindsofpopularbrands—fromColgateandOxiCleantoAmikaandBarillaPasta—forsend-backs.Yousimplyapplytoaprogram,thenTerraCyclewillsendyouthenecessarylabelandpackagingtosenditbackin.TerraCyclethenhandlestheresttomakesureit'sappropriatelyrecycled.Related: The10BestMetalStrawsonAmazon.com 33.Intentionallybuyitemsyou knowarerecyclable.Oneofthemostsignificantwaystomakeanenvironmentalimpactistochangehowyoushop.Youcandothisbyintentionallybuyingitemsthatyou knowarerecyclableorcompostable.Thiswillsaveyoualotofcarbonfootprintinthelongrun.34.Patronizebusinesseswithclosed-loopsystemsinplace.Lotsofcompanieswillclaimtobe"sustainable,""eco-friendly,"oroffer"recyclable"items.Mostofthetime,however,thesearenothingbutexamplesofgreen-washingsincethesetermsaren'treallyregulated.Abusinessdoesn'tneedtodoanythingspecificinordertoflaunttheseterms,sotherereallyisnoaccountability.Instead,patronizebusinessesthathaveclosed-loopsystemsinplace.Hereareourfavorites:EileenFisher,ETICADenim,GirlfriendCollective,ProjectDash(adivisionofDoorDash),Thread,andToastAle.35.Refrainfromshreddingpaper.Weknow—someimportant,confidentialpapersandfiles havetobeshredded.Butdon'tgetinthehabitofdoingitforeverything.SmallerpaperwasteistrickiertorecycleatMRFs.36.Compressplasticbottlestoremovetheair.Youmayrecognizepartofthisfrom#21.Ifyou'regoingtorecycleaplasticbottle anditsbottlecap,makesuretocompresstheplasticbottlefirstinordertoremovetheair.Then,youcanstickthecapbackon.Otherwise,youcantakethecapoffanddiscarditseparately.37.Ballupcleantinfoil.Aluminumistotallyrecyclable(ifit'sclean!).Makesuretocleanitfirst,thenballitupbeforethrowingitintherecyclingbin.38.Donatebooksinsteadofrecyclingthem.Always,always,alwaysgivebooksanotherchanceatlifebydonatingthem.Asof2022,it'sestimatedthat320millionbooksendupinthelandfill,discarded,eachyear,meaningthey'renotdonatedorrecycled.39.Separaterecyclableitemstoavoidcontamination.Food,liquid,oranyotherkindofstickyormessyresiduecancontaminatealloftheotherrecyclableitemsit'swith—evenifjustonerecyclableisdirty.That'swhyit'simportanttorinseoutyourrecyclablesfirst.Butintheeventthatyoumissone,separateitfromthecleanrecyclablestoavoidcontaminationattheMRF.Otherwise,youriskrenderingtheentirebinuselessforrecycling.(scrolltokeepreading)RelatedStoriesTheseAreSOFetch—25SuperGroolIdeasforCelebratingMeanGirlsDayHowDoFruitFliesFindIndoorFood?Numbrix9-August1440.Recycleyourownwater. SayWHAT?Watercanberecycled—orreally, reused—tonsoftimes.Itsaveswaste!Youcanadjustyourplumbingtouserainwaterorevenwastewaterfromyourshowertothenflushyourtoilet.Ifthat'stoobiganexpense(wegetit—noteveryonewantstorevamptheirplumbing),youcandothingstheold-fashionedway.Useashowerbuckettocatchwater,thenwaterthegardenwithit.Drainingpastawater?Neveragainletitgodownthedrain!Savethatwateranduseitforplants,flushingtoilets,orevenwashingdishes.41.Compostpapertaintedwithgrease.Greasestainsqualifyapieceofpaper(andcardboard)asdirty,meaningnon-recyclable.Composttheseinstead.42.Knowthedifferencebetweensingle-anddual-streamrecycling.Understandingthedifferencebetweensingle-anddual-streamrecyclingisRecycling101.It'simportanttoknowwhichoneyouuseinyourmunicipality.Single-streamrecyclingreferstomixedmaterialsallinonebin,whichmakesiteasierforthedepositorinthatthere'snosortingnecessary.However,single-streamlendsitselftoanincreasedlikelihoodofcontamination.Indual-stream,pre-sortingmaterialsarerequired:papergoesinonerecyclingbinwhilecommingledcontainersgoinanother.43.Brokenglassgoesinthetrash.Itrhymesforareason;youshouldrememberthismantra.Brokenglasscan'tberecycledanditonlyincreasestheriskthatMRFpersonnelwillgethurt.44.Donateclothes.Someclothingitemslikedenimcanberecycled—justdropthosejeansoffatMadewell!(AndoldbrascanbebroughttoanyAeriestore.)Butallinall,ifyoucandonateyourclothestoameaningfulcharity,individualperson,orfamilyyouknowwillgetmoreuseoutofyouritems,thatwillundoubtedlyhaveamoresignificantimpact.45.Optforreusablewheneverpossible.Asageneralrule,choosingreusable—reusable anything!—isalwaysamoresustainableoptionthansendingsomethingofftoberecycled.46. Don'trecycletanglers.AnythingwithareputationoftanglingupinanMRFiscalledatangler.Thisincludesthosesingle-useplasticgrocerystorebags,cords,ropes,andhoses.47.Contactyourlocalscrapmetalrecycler.Becausescrapmetaldoesn'tbelonginyourcurbsiderecyclingbin.Related: Rub-A-Dub-Dub—Here’saStep-By-StepProcesstoCleaningYourMetalStraw 48.Don'trecycleanythingwithliquids.Liquidsoilsuprecyclables,soifyoucan'tcleanitoutproperly,it'snotfortherecyclingbin.49.Switchtorecycledpapertowels.AccordingtotheEPA,asimplekitchenswapcouldsavehundredsofthousandsoftrees.Allyouhavetodoismakethechangetorecycledpapertowelsinlieuofpapertowelrollsthatutilizevirginfibers.50.Optforreusableclothnapkins.Stopbuyingpapernapkins!Thefibersofsuchnapkinsaretooshort,whichmeanstheyarenotidealtomakeintonewpaperornewnapkins.Plus,ifthey'reusedanddirtiedup,thatgreaseandoilcontaminatetherecycling.Sure,theycanprobablybecompostediftheyhaven'tbeenbreachedbutwhynotoptforreusableclothnapkinsthatcanbeused,washed,anddriedinfinitelyinstead?51.Investinabidet.Itcutsout so muchtoiletpaper!52.Optforrecycledtoiletpaper.Ifthebidetlifeisn'tforyou,justmakesureyou'rebuyingtoiletpaperthatisn'tvirgin.53.Chooserechargeablebatteries.Didyouknowthatstandardbatteriescannotbethrowninthegarbage?They'renotoriouslydifficulttorecycle,too.Insteadofworryingabouteither,makethesustainableswitchtocarbon-neutralrechargeablebatteries—54.Returnmetalhangerstothelaundromat.Laundromatsordrycleanersaregenerallywillingtotakethosemetalhangersback.Noneedtorecycleortrashthemwhentheycanbeproductivelyreused!55.DonateoldVHStapes.Believeitornot,oldVHStapesarealsoconsideredtanglers.Thefilmgetsoutofthetapeandtanglesupotheritemsontheassemblyline,jammingthemachines.Insteadoftryingtoimproperlyrecycletheseoldtapes,donatethemtoalocalschoolorlibrary.56.Pickuptrash.Asin,litter!Ifyou'rebikingaroundyourneighborhoodorwalkingthedogandhappentonoticelitter,it'shelpfultotheenvironmenttopickitup,bringithome,andsortitlater.Someoftheseitemsmayactuallyberecyclable.Othersmayhavetogointhetrash,butatleastthey'renotcloggingupyourcommunity!57. Investinreusablestrawsandcutlery.Remember:Bothoftheseitemsaretechnicallysmallerthanacreditcard,soit'sbestiftheydon'tenteryourMRFthroughtherecyclingbin.Instead,avoidusingtheseproductsaltogetherbyinsteadbringingyourownreusableswithyou.Youcanleavetheminthecar,inabagorwallet,orbringthemwithyoutoarestaurant.58.Studydowncycling.Listen,we'renottryingtomakeyoufeellikeyou'rebackatschool,butifyouhavethetime,takeaminutetolookinto"downcycling."PennedbyWilliamMcDonoughandMichaelBraungart,authorsofCradletoCradle,it'sthoughttobeamoreaccuratedescriptionofhowAmericansactuallyrecycle;asin,wesimplydelaythetimelineofaproductenteringthelandfillratherthantrulyrecycling.59.Recyclethatmattress.Switchingoutyouroldmattressforanew,moresustainableandeco-friendlyone?Goodonya!Butfirst,knowthatmostelementsofyourmattress—ifnot all ofthem—caninfactberecycled,solongasit'sbrokendownanddoneproperly.Inordertoproperlyrecycleamattress,youhaveafewoptions:someretailerswilltaketheoldoneandrecycleitatnocharge;localrecyclingcompaniesmayalsohavethecapacitytorecycleeachindividualpart;localsanitationmayalsoofferafewdaysoftheyearonitsrecyclingscheduleinwhichtheytakebiggeritemslikemattresses;andlastly,checkoutyourstateprograms.California,Connecticut,andRhodeIslandareknowntohavespecificmattressrecyclingprogramssuchasCA'sByeByeMattress.60.TurnaninflatablemattressintoalinersButfirst,you'llneedtocheckwithyourlocalrecyclingcompanytoseeiftheywillacceptinflatablemattresses.Someplacescananddo,usingplasticscrapstomakeliners,grillcovers,andtarps.61.RemoverefrigerantbeforerecyclingcertainappliancesThistypicallyappliestoairconditioners,fridges,andfreezersandyou'llneedaprofessionaltoremovetherefrigerantfrominside.Refrigeranthaschemicalsinitthatwouldcontaminatetherecyclingprocess,soit'scrucialtoremovethemfirst.(Butit'sillegaltoDIYitasthosetoxinscouldreleaseintotheair!)62.EducateyourselfontheEPA'sRADprogramTheRADprogram—ResponsibleApplianceDisposal—makesitpossibletoproperlyrecycleapplianceslikefridges,freezers,dehumidifiers,andwindowACunits.63.RecyclethemetalfromanapplianceseparatelyMostappliancesaremadeofmixedmaterials,sobesuretorecyclethemetalseparatelybycontactingascrapmetalfacilitynearyou.Related: Eco-FriendlyProductsThatMakeItEasytoBeGreenonEarthDay(andEveryDay)64.Third-partyrecyclethoseoldCDsandDVDsUnlikeVHStapes,olddiscsaren'tconsideredtanglers,buttheystillshouldn'tbethrowncurbside(whetherinthetrashorintherecyclingbin).Instead,mailyourCDs(andDVDs!)toeitherCDRecyclingCenterofAmerica or GreenDisk.65.RecyclepackingpeanutsButwait,there'salittlemoretoit.First,itdependsonwhichkindofpackingpeanutsyou'retryingtorecycle.Bothpinkandgreencangenerallyberecycled(greenbeingtheeco-friendlierversionthat'smorelikelytodefinitelyberecyclable),butyou'llwanttocontactyourlocalrecyclingcenterfirsttomakesure.Biodegradablepeanuts—usuallywhiteorbeigeincolor—simplybreakdownontheirown,sojustrunthemunderthesinkforabit.IfyourMRFwon'ttakethegreenorpinkpeanutscurbside,youcantryalocaltakebackprogram(someUnitedParcelServicelocationsofferthem)ortryaMail-inRecyclingprogramwithExpandedPolystyreneIndustryAlliance.66.DonateyouroldsportsequipmentInsteadofchuckingitinabin,oldsportingequipment—likeyogamats,weights,andweightedballs—canberecycled.Justnotcurbside.Dosomeresearchtofindalocalsportingequipmentrecyclingprogramnearyouorsimplydonateittoanathleticcenterorlocalsportsprogram.Foryogamats,JadeYogaoffersayogamatrecyclingprograminwhichitturnsoldmatsintonewyogaproducts.67.CompostorrecyclewinecorksGotcork?Anaturalcork,thankfully,canbeeasilycompostedathome.However,anon-naturalwinecork—metalorsynthetic—willhavetoberecycled.Checkoutthefollowingcorkrecyclingprogramsformoreinformation:TheCorkForestConservationAlliance(whichhasdropboxesinmanyWholeFoods),ReCORK(whichletsyoumailin15poundsofcorkormore),andCorkClubRecycling(whichletsyoumailinnaturalandsyntheticwinecorksinshipmentsoffivepounds).68.RecycleoldsolarpanelsAccordingto TreeHugger,90percentofsolarpanelsendupinlandfills.Thatkindadefeatsthepurpose,huh?Toproperlyrecycleasolarpanel,youdon'tneedtocallanyspecificsolar-panel-recyclingcompany;allyouhavetodoisbreakdownthemajorcomponentsyourself.Mostsolarpanelsconsistofglass,plastic, andmetal,soyou'llwanttoremovethecable,junctionbox,andframe.Sorteachpartbycategory:glass,plastic,ormetalthenrecycleeachpartproperly.69.ContactyouroptometristaboutrecyclingoldglassesGlassesaremadefrommultiplematerials,buttheglasslenses,plasticframes,andnoseprotectorscaneachbeindividuallyrecycled.Notsurehow?Contactyourlocaleyedoctorformoreinformation;theymighteventakethepartsback!70.CutthebristlesoffyourtoothbrushYourtoothbrushcanlikelyberecycled(orcompostedifit'sabambooone!).However,nomatterwhichkindyouhave,you'llhavetocutthebristlesoffitfirst.Thebristlescannotberecycledandwillinstead,jamuptherecyclingmachinesattheMRF.71.SendyourrazorbladesbackShavingwithasustainablemetalsafetyrazor?CollectthosebladesovertimeandsendthembacktoLeafShave,whowilltakecareofrecyclingthemcorrectly.72.RecycleyourmotoroilWeknow—it'sshocking.Butthatstuffshouldn'tgointhegarbageordownadrain.Somemunicipalitiesacceptcollectedandstoredmotoroilforrecycling,butyou'llhavetoreachouttoyourlocalonetofindoutifyoursdoes(andhowtheygoaboutcollectingit,too).Ifthat'snotanoption,AutoZoneacceptsused/recycledmotoroil!73.Don'tthrowoutcrayons(eventhebrokenones)Whenyouthinkofhowmuchwastethereisintheworld,wedoubtyoupicturecrayons.Butalas,crayonsarekindofabigproblem!Afterall,Crayolaalonemakesmillionsperyear.Toproperlyrecycleold,unwanted,orevenbrokencrayons,checkoutNationalCrayonRecyclingProgram.74.RecycleyouroldwashingmachineNeedanewwashingmachine?FindaclothingwasherrecyclingprogramnearyouthroughEnergyStar.Theseprogramstakeindividualpartsandensuretheyarerecycledcorrectly.75.Repurposeyourold,deadChristmaslightsWhenstringsofholidaylightsstopworking,don'tthrowthemaway.Andsincetheycan'tberecycledcurbsideeither,sendthemtoHolidayLeds.Theytakenon-workinglights,removewhatcan'tberecycledfromtheset,andthenbringthemtoathird-partyfacility.76.KnowwhattodowithcookingoilThiswilllikelyvarybymunicipality,butifyousimplytypeinGoogle,"recyclecookingoil,"afewlocaloptionsshouldpopupforyou.Localrecyclingandwastemanagementserviceswilloftentakestored,sealedcookingoiloffyourhands.Youcanalsodothiswithbutterandnoneedtoseparatethecookingoilsbytype.77.DisposeoffertilizerOrelse,giveittosomeoneelsetouse.Fertilizer,unfortunately,cannotberecycled,butyoushoulddisposeofitcorrectlytomitigateanyharmdonetotheenvironment.Forliquidfertilizer,leaveitinitscontainer,lidontight.Next,wrapitinnewspapertoabsorbanypotentialspillage.Putthecontainerinsideatrashbag,thentieitclosed.Thiscangooutwiththeregulartrash.78.RecycleyourbicycleYouroldbikeisnottrash!Wedon'tcare how bangedupitis,repeatafterus:Youroldbikeisnottrash.Ifyouwanttogetridofanoldbikeanddon'thaveanyonespecifictodonateitto,checkoutBikesoftheWorld.Theyreuseusedbikepartsandsellthemtolow-incomeareasataffordableprices.79.GiveyourcellphonenewlifeMostcellcarrierswillbuybackorletyoutradeinyouroldcellphoneforanewer,shiniermodel,butdidyouknowthatcellphonescanalsoberecycled?Donatingisusuallyagoodoption,butitcanberecycled,too.Torecycleyourcellphone,youcandeposititatanecoATM(oftenyou'llfindtheseatmalls,Kroger,orWalmart)oryoucanbringittoyourlocalBestBuy.80.StopthrowingyourmailinthetrashApparently,themailisnottrash—it'srecycling!AccordingtoUnitedStatesPostalService'swebsite,"TheEnvironmentalProtectionAgencyrecognizesallmailasrecyclablemixedpaperwaste,sodon'tforgettoaddyourstotherecyclebinwhenyou'redonewithit."Wow—thateventhrewusforaloop!81.Recycleusedstamps,tooUSPSisreallydoingalotwiththeirsustainabilityinitiativebecauseapparentlystampsaremadetoberecyclableaswell.Andyes—thatincludestheadhesiveontheback!USPS.comexplains,"Ourstampsarerecyclableandourstampadhesivesareenvironmentallybenignandrecyclingcompatible."Kudos,USPS!Anddon'tthrowthatstampout!82.RecyclemailpackagingUSPSmakes all oftheirmailpackagingrecyclable.That'severythingfromenvelopesandbubblemailerstocardsandbusinesssupplies.83.BringyourfluorescentlightbulbsbacktoIKEAEveniftheyweren'tpurchasedatIKEAoriginally,youcanrecycleyourfluorescentbulbswiththeSwedishfurniturestore'sFreeTake-BackProgram.84.RecycleyouroldcarpetCarpetscan'tlastforever(youknowwhattheysay,nothingcan).Butyoucanmakesurethatyoudisposeofitcorrectlyandwebetyoudidn'tknowthatyourdustyoldrugcould,infact,berecycled.Insteadofhaulingittothecurb,contactacarpetreclamationfacilitynearyou.They'lltakeitoffyourhandsandmakesureitgetsrecycledintosomethingnewandgreat.85.Locateyourlocalrecyclingcenter.SearchforyoursatEarth911.com andgettoknowtheinsandoutsofwhatyourlocalspottakesanddoesn'ttake.Nextup,youshouldbedoingthese105thingstoreduceyourcarbonfootprint.TrendingStoriesTheseAreSOFetch—25SuperGroolIdeasforCelebratingMeanGirlsDayHowDoFruitFliesFindIndoorFood?Numbrix9-August14MeganTheeStallionGrillsNataliaDyerOver'StrangerThings'InternetDemandstoKnowWhere'Prey'DogCocoIsNowSustainability54oftheBestWaystoLiveThatNo-Single-Use-PlasticLifeSustainability30InspiringQuotesforEarthDay:'TheEnvironmentIsWhereWeAllMeet'SustainabilityGoGreen!105WaystoReduceEmissionsandLiveWithaLowerCarbonFootprintSustainabilityRub-A-Dub-Dub—Here'saStep-By-StepProcesstoCleaningYourMetalStrawShopping,Deals&FreebiesThe10BestMetalStrawsonAmazon.comShopping,Deals&FreebiesWhyMillennialsAreThriftingTheirGifts—AndTheBestSecondhandGiftsToGiveLoading…SeeMoreCLOSECLOSECLOSECLOSE