If you would like to do more to help cut down on the amount of trash that ends up in the landfill, you are going to want to consider recycling the plastics that you are no longer using. While one good thing to do is to simply cut back on the amount of single-use plastics you purchase, you will still need to do something with the plastic that you can't avoid using. Here are some tips to help you start plastic recycling so it can be properly processed once it makes it to the local recycling center.
Clean It Up
You do not want to send dirty plastic to a recycling center. They do not have the time nor resources to clean out old dried-up drinks, food, or dirt from the plastic. All you need to do is to make sure that you are thoroughly rinsing out all of your plastics and then completely drying them before placing them in the recycling bin for plastics.
Only Save The Bigger Items
There isn't much use in saving plastic that is smaller than the debit card you got from your bank. Things like plastic pop caps, plastic paper clips, or little shreds of random plastic should simply be tossed in with your standard kitchen garbage. Anything larger than a bank debit card can be cleaned up, dried off, and then collected in a bin until it is time to take all of it to the recycling center.
Keep Everything In A Bin Or A Can
You do not want to seal up all of your recyclable plastic in a bag, because it becomes too difficult for the recycling center to manage it. The plastic items should be kept loose in a bin or garbage can that is marked for recycling. If your garbage collection company collects recyclables, they might have a specific container that they will want you to use for that. If you have to take the plastics to a recycling center on your own, fill up a container you can place in your vehicle and hand it off to the workers at the facility. They will dump the plastics and return your container so you can use it for more plastic collection.
With all of that in mind, you should find that it is going to be a lot easier for you to begin to recycle your plastic. It might take a few reminders to friends and family that are in the house with you, but before you know it, the steps that need to be taken will be so routine for everyone that it will be like second nature. The sooner you start, the better because that is all trash that can be recycled and reused as something else instead of taking up a lot of space in a landfill.
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