Outdoor Recycling

The world of recycling

While research shows that more and more of us are recycling at home and at work, there's still tons of room for tons of recyclables to find their way out of the city dump and into the products of tomorrow.

Outdoor recycling: keeping Mother Earth beautiful

Whether it's at your local park, neighborhood schools, or community area, recycling goes a long way in keeping it clean today and sustainable tomorrow. If your favorite outdoor spot lacks a recycling plan, implement one. A few easy steps, and you're on your way to a cleaner tomorrow. 1.) Decide what the recycling needs are (what's being tossed out?), find a vendor for the waste (who will recycle it?), educate participants (clearly posted rules make it easier for people who want to pitch in).

Indoor recycling: on how not to turn into Sarah Silvia Cynthia Stout

Kitchen recycling might be the easiest way to reduce waste. Contrary to popular myth, kitchen composters don't require fancy, costly equipment. As you cook, place wasted material like veggies, fruits, pasta, bread, and coffee grounds (not meat!) into a reusable food container. Dump it outdoors in your compost pile (stirring occasionally), and soon you'll have a lush, rich soil for gardening flowers or homegrown foods.

Commercial area recycling: coming together over garbage

Do you live in a community where curbside recycling bins are picked up weekly or bi-weekly? Can you find a recycling center near you that accepts glass, batteries, or computers? Does your city provide local outdoor recycling bins at parks, schools, or even some offices? Luck you! Commercial area recycling plans like these have multiple benefits:

Cutting down cost: While recycling itself helps reduce unnecessary waste and use, commercial recycling also helps reduce the cost of trash services. Although it varies per community, some areas see a reduction of $80 in fees for every ton of recycling. And that adds up.

Community esteem: Cities and towns that participate in commercial recycling plans exhibit collective self-esteem, which often translates into additional community projects or events, such as beautification projects, community runs, and see a rise in youth involvement and awareness. Who knew yesterday's newspaper could be tomorrow's news?