Recycling at Home

I get calls like this every day…”How do I get one of those pretty blue (or green) bins to do my recycling in?”. This query comes most often from folks who haul their own waste to the landfill and desire an attractive container like their neighbors who use the local curbside garbage service. My answer is always…”You can only have one if you subscribe to garbage service.”

As you can imagine, some folks are confused and disappointed. I do go on to say that you do not need pretty blue bins to do your recycling at home. Anyway, those bins cost over $15 each! I suggest that each family or office that wishes to recycle more, simply develop a system that works for them. There is not any “one” system that works for everyone. Each location may choose to recycle more or less materials than the next and everyone has different space limitations.

I would like to point out as you develop a system in your home, that no matter what you do, you will still be managing the same amount of waste whether you recycle or dispose. You are simply storing it a bit differently. To save on space, seriously consider reducing the amount of waste you generate. This will cut down on the space required to prepare your trash and recyclables for removal. Composting is a great way to mitigate the amount of material going into your trash. By composting you can keep out all yard debris, food waste, and food contaminated paper waste like paper towels and hamburger wrappers. And your garbage may not stink anymore!

The system I use at home is the one I recommend to people who have a little room to work with. Simply find 4 small garbage cans or large containers and label them GLASS, METAL, PAPER, and PLASTIC. By putting these materials in its own container, you now have much more room in your garbage containers and can usually get rid of a container or two and even reduce the last one in size. I have a family of 5 and only fill our can ½ way over 2 weeks by recycling everything we can, composting, and reducing our waste.

Once one of your labeled cans is near full, simply take it with you when you haul your trash. That way you are only managing one recyclable on your trip. This reduces your efforts and stress. By separating your recyclables from your trash and composting, you will not have to go to the landfill as often, thus saving on fuel and money.

Together we can all Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle to “Trash Douglas County Less!”