Conservation is going to be an important aspect of the future, and it is vital now if we hope to reach that future. Recycling your home trash is one way to go about helping the environment, but what can you recycle? You might be surprised to learn that a lot more things are recyclable than paper and plastic. There are a whole host of items that you should never throw away, not only because they are bad for the environment, but because you can actually get more value from them than you realize. Here’s five examples to get you started:
1. Electronics
Most people have no idea how valuable electronic devices are, even if they are broken. The average modern smartphone is made with numerous precious metals that must be mined from the Earth in a process that does a lot of damage, so recycling those materials is vital. In one million cell phones, there is about 770 pounds of silver, 75 pounds of gold, 30 pounds of palladium, and over 35,000 pounds of pure copper. Considering how often people change cell phones and how many overall people on the planet use them, it’s easy to see why these devices are so valuable to recycling initiatives.
2. Food Waste
If you have any sort of garden or outdoor plants that require feeding, food waste should never be thrown out with the trash. Fruits and vegetables make especially good fertilizer if allowed to decompose. In order to take advantage of this idea without having to drastically change your habits, you can create a compost box by drilling a few small holes in the side of a large plastic container with a lid. The holes are to help gases escape as they are generated during the degrading process. The box should be previously filled with a thin layer of dirt, leaves, and earthworms. This will expedite the process.
3. Plastic Bags
Plastic grocery bags are horrible for the environment, so you should avoid taking them from the store, but if you do use them, do not throw them away. They won’t decompose in a landfill for thousands of years, and they can be repurposed in multiple ways. They can be reused to lug things around, prep food in the kitchen, household storage and of course cleaning up after your dog. Use a single grocery bag to hold all the other grocery bags in one place.
4. Glass Jars
You probably go through glass jars faster than you realize, but they should never be thrown away. You can take that old pickle or mayonnaise jar and clean it with bleach or some other abrasive cleaner to remove any labels and remaining food odor. Once the jars are dried out, they can be used numerous ways. They can help organize a closet or garage space, they can be used for leftovers, or make a custom homemade gift. Glass is also recyclable, so if you accumulate too many jars, your extras can go in your curbside recycling cart.
5. Cardboard Rolls
Cardboard tubes are all over the place thanks to paper towels and toilet paper. They are uniquely shaped items that can do a lot of things. They can be used to create easy dispensing units for plastic bags, they can organize a cluttered collection of wires, and they make great frames for new seedling plants to take root. You can also use them to store Christmas lights by wrapping them inside the tubes, and they can be used to store rolled up paper documents. Like glass, cardboard rolls are also recyclable so toss extras into your curbside recycling cart.
Guest blog contributed by Jessica Kane, professional blogger for Econoheat. For more ideas check out 10 more reuse and recycling ideas.