My Earth, my mother, my responsibility
To recycle or not to recycle, that is the question
Shwetha Iyer, Houston TX
Are we recycling correctly and effectively?
We all know about the three R’s of conservation - Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. But we all may get confused sometimes when it comes to recycling, wondering whether to put an item in the recycling bin or the regular trash. For a quick reference, here are some tips on recycling and items in our household that can and cannot be recycled.
Things to remember:
Remove any leftovers and gently wash dirty items before putting it in the recycling bin. If it is too soiled or greasy, better to put in regular trash. Eg. greasy pizza boxes.
Recyclable items should be dry as possible. Wet paper goes into trash. The wet fibers from paper will get stuck in the machine and jam up the incinerator.
Textiles will clog the machine by the threads getting caught up.
Not all plastic can be recycled properly. Check the label on the container when in doubt.
Keep the lid on jars and tubes when recycling.
Feel free to add more to the list below as you go on your recycling journey!
Recyclable
Glass
Jam Jars, Sauce bottles, Glass containers
Plastics
Milk Jugs, Ziploc bags, plastic bottles, empty toiletries, empty cosmetics, toothbrushes, toothpaste and caps, dental floss containers
Paper and Cardboards
Shipping Boxes, Newspaper, Tissue Boxes, Cereal Boxes, paper bags
Metals
Aluminum/Steel/Tin Cans, Soda Cans, Canned Food Cans
Special Items**
Batteries, Computers, Mobile Phones
Not recyclable
Glass
Broken glass
Plastics
Styrofoam/Polystyrene cups and food boxes and containers, Plastic shopping bags, plastic wrap, bubble wrap, Plastic Cutlery, Plastic Straws/Mixers
Paper and Cardboards
Wet paper, pizza boxes, glossy magazines
Metals
Aerosol Cans
Food
Food waste*
Others
Textile, Ceramic, Wax, Pottery, Soiled trash
* Some food waste can be composted.
**Goes to Special Facilities to recycle. Check your local recycling centers.
