Understanding Your Local Recycling Program

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Setting Up Your Home For Curbside Recycling And Collection

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The days of dumping everything in the trash and letting it all go to the local landfill are over in most parts of the country. While there are still some landfills that are operating without recycling, the majority of them have switched to a program that requires recyclable materials to be sorted out of the general trash and sent to a recycling facility for reuse.

Setting Up A Recycling Plan

The trash can is so easy to use. You just throw everything in there and the trash gets hauled away every week. While this is true, in some areas, you can get into trouble with the refuse company or even the city or town for not recycling. Setting up recycling bins at home is easy and, once you get into the routine, you will find it is simple to put the trash in the can and the recyclables in the proper bins. In some areas, you don't have to sort them, you just need to keep them out of the trash.  

Trash Day and Recycling Day

Not every city has the resources to collect trash and recycling on separate days, but check with your municipality and see what the schedule and procedure is. In some places, they will pick up trash on one day and recyclables a few days or even a week later. The best way to stay out of trouble is to ask ahead of time and get the procedure sorted out.

Use Recycling As A Teaching Tool

If you take the time to teach your kids what gets recycled and what doesn't, you can make a game of it and hone their recycling skills. When they start looking at materials to see what gets recycled and what doesn't, they will start to become part of a responsible society that is working to reduce waste. The best part about it is, they won't know it. It can be a game to see what goes where and who can pick the right bin for the material. Have fun with it, and pretty soon it will become a part of the day for everyone in the family.

Preparing The Recyclables

In some places, they will ask you to simply rinse out cans and bottles, others will ask you to take off labels, and some don't care if you do any of that. If you are storing recycling in your home or garage, it is best to rinse them out so they do not smell bad or attract insects like ants and roaches looking for a free meal. It just takes a second to do, but in the end, you will be happier with rinsed and prepared recyclables in your home.

For more information, contact a recycling service in your area, like Industrial Services Inc.


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