Recycling
Recycling is one of the most fundamental components of green living. It reduces environmental waste and helps conserve natural resources. U.S. households and businesses generate about 245 million tons of garbage annually, and much of that waste isn’t recycled. If you’re hunting for ways to improve that number, the resources recommended in this guide can get you started.
Expand All Guide SectionsRecycling Basics
“Reduce, reuse, recycle” has long been the mantra for many environmentally conscious people. If you need a lesson on how to recycle, or want to teach your kids about recycling, read on.
Insights for Recycling
- Many cities promote recycling programs on their Web sites. Typing “city of” and your city’s name into a search engine can help you track down the Web address for your hometown.
- See the findingDulcinea Green Living Web Guide to learn more about environmentally friendly practices you can apply in your home.
Top Sites for Recycling
For a general overview of recycling …
The Internet Consumer Recycling Guide
explains one of the most basic ways to embark on green living. Learn how to recycle, what to do with different materials, how to go “beyond the curbside” and how to reduce your unwanted mail.
The Environmental Protection Agency
presents “Welcome to Recycle City,” an interactive tour of a town that illustrates numerous ways to recycle and apply environmentally friendly practices in your home. Although the tour has a youthful feel, adults may find some useful gems here, too.
To teach kids about recycling …
National Geographic Kids
can help youngsters get enthused about recycling using games, articles and instructions for recycling/craft projects.
What and Where to Recycle
These days, recycling and resource conservation are all the rage. But how do you know if your old VCR tapes or cell phones can be recycled? This section helps you discover recycling possibilities for some specific items you may have at home, and shows you where to find a recycling facility in your area.
Insights for What and Where to Recycle
- Yellowpages.com is a beneficial online resource that can help you search for more local recycling facilities than you might find on a broader search tool.
- Using a little creativity, anything can be recycled into a piece of art. Visit KinderArt.com for a list of imaginative projects that recycle items like milk cartons and magazines into works of art.
Top Sites for What and Where to Recycle
For general recycling centers…
Earth 911
supplies a thorough overview on recycling, including how and what to recycle. Use the search feature at the top of the page to find recycling or re-use locations near you that accept all kinds of items, like batteries, plastic bags, paint, computers, packing materials, Christmas trees and more.
Freecycle
is a grassroots group of people who exchange stuff for free in their communities. Are you looking to get rid of something, or do you need a particular item? Visit “Browse groups” to find a Freecycle group near you.
RecyclingCenters.org
tracks down recycling centers and marks them on a map after you type a zip code in the search box. It’s also possible to search for recycling centers by state.
To recycle technology and electronics …
Reward Programs.org
has a blog called Free Geekery that lists the top 10 ways to recycle or reuse your computer. The list is pretty comprehensive, with links to resources offering a variety of options. For more money-saving geekery, explore other posts on this spunky blog.
Goodwill
accepts old computers. Follow the instructions on the page to clear your old computer of your personal information before making your donation.
GreenDisk
is a paid service that recycles “technotrash” like CDs, DVDs, VCR tapes and old computers. If you have tons of old VCR tapes you’d like to get rid of and no one else will accept them, this may be a good option.
To recycle clothing and personal accessories …
Dress for Success
accepts donations of professional clothing to use for disadvantaged women looking to advance their career opportunities. Learn more about the types of clothing accepted by the organization and where to donate.
New Eyes for the Needy
accepts donations of glasses to help people around the world have better vision. The organization also accepts hearing aids, jewelry, silverware and other items. To learn more about making a donation, visit the Recycle page.
Nike
conducts a “Reuse-A-Shoe” program that collects old athletic shoes for recycling as sport surfaces and other materials. Choose your location on the right to find a drop off location near you.
To recycle metal …
The Steel Recycling Institute
discusses recycling items that may contain steel, such as household appliances, cans and cars. There’s also a steel recycling locator to help you find a place to take your unwanted steel.
Waste Reduction
Making simple changes in your daily routine and applying a little creativity can help cut down the waste you create. Need some inspiration? The Web sites in this section can help.
Insights for Waste Reduction
- Reduce the amount of junk mail you receive, and help conserve trees at the same time. Follow the instructions from the Direct Marketing Association for help removing your name from DMA-member mailing lists and pre-screened credit offers.
- Efficiency is an important part of waste reduction. If it’s been awhile since you’ve given your car a tune-up, or addressed some of the small problems in your home like leaky faucets, read the findingDulcinea Auto Repair Guide and the findingDulcinea Home Maintenance Web Guide.
Top Sites for Waste Reduction
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
offers a long list of tips to help you evaluate ways you might be perpetuating a waste problem in your home, and provides solutions to remedy the situation.
Oprah.com
offers some simple changes a person can make in their daily routine to cut down on the amount of waste entering the environment.
© 2012 Dulcinea Media, Inc.
