How do recycle

You can recycle those soup cans, soda cans, and even aluminum foil! Make sure to clean off any food particles before you toss it in the recycle bin. Americans currently discard about 2.

Did you know that car batteries are the most recycled product in America? Determine what type of battery you have and find a recycling location. This e-waste includes consumer electronics including: laptops, mobile phones, and TVs.

These products can contain toxic substances, so disposing of them properly is even more important for the planet. Even masters of recycling can find room for improvement. Want to learn more? You are here Home Connect Blog. Importance of Recycling Why should we recycle? Where to Recycle There are a number of places that you can set-up for easy recycling.

Check with their recycling department to find out things like: What type of container should you use? When and how are materials collected? Which items are accepted? Do you need to schedule a special pickup e-waste or metals? Are there any specifics that would prevent your items from being recycled? What to Recycle There are few materials that cannot be recycled. Plastic Progress on plastic recycling has been slow in the United States. Check what your community or office program accepts before you put it in the bin.

When you go shopping, look for products that are made from recycled paper. If you use gift wrap, look to find a type that can be recycled or that is made from recycled content. Consumers can also reduce waste by using decorative boxes that do not require wrapping and that can be recycled.

However, check with your local recycling provider first to be certain and for the best ways to dispose of wrapping paper. The Agency encourages consumers to reuse gift bags and tissue paper, and not discard them after a single use. One of the most recycled products are lead-acid batteries, with 2.

Recycling rates of other battery types are not as well tracked. Although batteries are recyclable, most batteries, including lithium-ion, lithium metal, lead-acid, nickel cadmium, and other rechargeable batteries, should NOT go in household garbage or recycling bins. These waste batteries require special handling and should be taken to specialty drop-off locations or household hazardous waste collection points. Check out our resources on how to manage and recycle your used household batteries and your used lithium-ion batteries.

More than 35 million tons of plastics were generated in the United States in , which was about 12 percent of the waste stream. Only 8. Some types of plastics are recycled much more than others. Most community recycling programs accept some, but not all, types of plastics. Look for products made from recycled plastic materials. What do the symbols mean on the bottom of plastic bottles and containers?

These symbols were created by plastic manufacturers to help people identify the kind of plastic resin used to make the container. This can help you determine if the container can be accepted by your local recycling program. The resin number is contained in a triangle, which looks very similar to the recycling symbol, but this does not necessarily mean it can be collected for recycling in your community.

Glass, especially glass food and beverage containers, can be recycled over and over again. In the United States in , Making new glass from recycled glass is typically cheaper than using raw materials.

Most curbside community recycling programs accept different glass colors and types mixed together, and then glass is sorted at the recovery facility. Check with your local program to see if you need to separate your glass or if it can be mixed together. Never dump your used motor oil down the drain — the used oil from one oil change can contaminate one million gallons of fresh water.

By recycling your used oil you not only help keep our water supply clean, but help reduce American dependence on foreign oil. Some of the common products you can find that can be made with recycled content include the following:. This study analyzes the numbers of jobs, wages and tax revenues attributed to recycling. The study found that in a single year, recycling and reuse activities in the United States accounted for:.

This equates to 1. For more information, check out the full report. Skip to main content. Related Topics: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Contact Us. On this page: Benefits of Recycling Steps to Recycling Materials Recycling Creates Jobs Benefits of Recycling Reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills and incinerators Conserves natural resources such as timber, water and minerals Increases economic security by tapping a domestic source of materials Prevents pollution by reducing the need to collect new raw materials Saves energy Supports American manufacturing and conserves valuable resources Helps create jobs in the recycling and manufacturing industries in the United States Steps to Recycling Materials Recycling includes the three steps below, which create a continuous loop, represented by the familiar recycling symbol.

Step 1: Collection and Processing There are several methods for collecting recyclables, including curbside collection, drop-off centers, and deposit or refund programs. Common Recyclables After collection, recyclables are sent to a recovery facility to be sorted, cleaned and processed into materials that can be used in manufacturing.

Step 2: Manufacturing More and more of today's products are being manufactured with recycled content. Common household items that contain recycled materials include the following: Newspapers and paper towels Aluminum, plastic, and glass soft drink containers Steel cans Plastic laundry detergent bottles Recycled materials are also used in new ways such as recovered glass in asphalt to pave roads or recovered plastic in carpeting and park benches.