How Many Recycling Bins Do You Need?
How Many Recycling Bins Do You Need?
When asked why they do not recycle, the number
one answer people give is that they do not have an area in which to
store their recyclable materials. The second answer is generally
that they are confused as to which items are recyclable and which
are not. There are some very simple solutions to both of these
issues and with a bit of education more people would begin
recycling.
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The first thing you need to do to start a
recycling program in your home is to contact your local community
recycling center. Your local recycling center is there to help you
better understand the process of recycling and also to help you with
which items can be recycled in your specific area of the country.
You can give them a call or visit their location. You will want to
ask them about their programs in your area and how they want to see materials coming into their center. For example, do you need to
wash out your cans and bottles before bringing them in? Or, do you
need to smash your aluminum cans at home before bringing them? Once you understand what your local recycling
center accepts, it is time to work on getting the right recycling
bins for your needs. Recycling bins are available in a lot of
different shapes, sizes and colors. How many recycling bins you
will need depends on which items you will be recycling, and how much
space you have readily available for you to work with.
Most community recycling centers
today will accept aluminum, plastic, glass, cardboard and newspapers
for recycling. |
You may want to have recycling bins for each of these
different types of materials, or you may want to keep just one or
two bins and separate your materials before you get to the recycling
center.
Aluminum Recycling Bins: For aluminum
cans you will want a large bin if you drink lots of soda which comes
in cans. You do not need an aluminum recycling bin if you do not
drink soda.
Plastics Recycling Bins: For plastics
you will want at least one recycling bin and possibly more if you
have a lot of plastic waste in your home. Community recycling
centers generally require you to sort your plastic recyclables by
plastic type. You can generally find the type of plastics by the
number on the bottom of most plastic containers.
Glass Recycling Bins: You will probably
only need one recycling bin for glass, however you will have to sort
the glass into colors at the recycling center.
 Cardboard Recycling Bins: If you use a
lot of boxed products, then you will find a recycling bin for
cardboard will come in handy. Newspapers and other paper can
generally be kept in a paper grocery bag and taken to the recycling
center in that.
If you have a small space, but a lot of
materials you want to recycle on a regular basis, consider
purchasing stackable recycling bins. Stackable recycling bins use
vertical space and are widely available for purchase. Another
option is to use recycling bins which sit in bottom cabinets in your
kitchen. These bins sit on sliders and you pull them out of your
bottom cabinet to insert your recyclable materials into them.
If you have a large garage or other storage
area where you can hold more recyclable materials for recycling I
would suggest purchasing the ten gallon tubs with handles at your
local home improvement store. You can easily put them into your
vehicle to take to the recycling center because the are light and
easy to carry.
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