Sometimes when people get inspired, they can overdo things (with good intentions, of course). If you go on a recycling rampage, you might find yourself trying to recycle things that are not recycleable. That is not only a not good thing, it can be a downright bad thing. If certain plastics find their way into a batch of recycling, it could ruin the whole batch. Plastic bags can get stuck in the machinery and cause much delay and frustration at the recycling plant. So, what should you NOT recycle?

DO NOT PUT THESE ITEMS IN THE RECYCLING BIN:

• dirty, food covered anything
• broken ceramics, light bulbs or mirrors
• plastic bags, dirt, water, anything contaminated
• rubber bands
• spray cans
• cans filled with paint or other potentially hazardous materials
• stickers
• napkins
• laminated paper
• Plastics with #3,#4, #5 and especially #7; or those plastics with nothing at all. (check in your area – some areas will accept #3-5)
• milk cartons or any type of “waxed” paper
• any metals that are attracted to magnets
• batteries
• tires
• any electronics

Find out from your municipality what is recycleable in your area…not all capacities are the same!! Thanks to obviously.com’s World’s Shortest Comprehensive Recycling Guide for the tips!

Did you know that according to the EPA in 2006, homes, business and institutions produced 251 million tons of solid waste?  This translates to approximately 4.6 pounds waste per person,  per day. Work is the place where people recycle the least. It is easy to let your efforts slip at work, because commonly the structures aren’t set up, and there are more people involved. So how can you at least do your part?

scrap paper: Can’t print on both sides? Save the paper and use it for notes. If you are more of a creative type – cut them down, and replace your post-its!

printing: Do you think before you print? Try to cut down on what you print. And have a conversation with your office manager and make sure your copier paper has recycled content!

coffee cups: Do you buy your coffee from Starbucks or another local? Bring a reuseable cup! Just imagine, if you would save over 200 paper cups!

computer: Make sure you turn it off at night!

lights: In many big offices, people leave the lights on, assuming that they’ll just be turned off by the cleaning crew. Well, they are capable people…they can turn them back on! You turn off your lights at home when you leave the room, why not at work?

You have heard it over and over again…

“Reduce, Reuse then Recycle” but it isn’t always obvious just how to do that, is it? Well, here’s the tip for you – and it will save you money!

Plastic Wrap, sandwich baggies..all plastic that is thrown away. The least you can do to keep some of that plastic out of the landfill, is to buy the reuseable containers. Go long term with more durable pieces, or short term with the GladWare, Rubbermaid TakeAway stuff.

Aluminum foil is recycleable. make sure it’s clean.

You want to make the biggest impact? AND save money? Use the containers you already have!

Use the empty Cool Whip containers for leftover mashed potatoes, the glass spaghetti jars for soup, the empty Chinese food containers for almost everything! These containers were not meant to be used long term, so you may find they do split after a couple of washes. Have no fear, throw them in the recycling bin for guilt free recycling…you have reduced (you are causing less production of plastic film and baggies), reused (that is self explanatory), and recycled!

Recycling is one of the easiest enviro-friendly things to do. Make it quick, hassle free and automatic!

Find out what local services are available. What can be recycled in your area? If you can’t find out exactly, go for paper, glass, plastic and aluminum. You don’t have to always search for the numbers of the “types” of plastic.

Set up your recycling area- this could be as simple as a separate “garbage can” which is the new “recycling bin,” reusing a paper grocery bag with handles under the sink, or you can be fancy with the ecopod Home Recycling Center. Having things be easy and workable is crucial for succeeding long term!

Buy anything possible recycled! Nowadays, you can find recycled paper towels, toilet paper, paper napkins, and facial tissue in most local stores! For those who think that recycled toilet paper is used toilet paper that has been recycled, it’s not! Have no fear! If you just can’t break your attraction to the velvety soft Kleenex that you have always used, put recycled paper in the guest bathroom! Or, keep a roll of recycled paper towels on hand for when you wash the windows or soak up a big spill…something that is not everyday so your hands won’t mind!

Check out the cook ecopod Home Recycling Center here.

Who has time to overhaul the whole house and go from “regular life” to green? Doesn’t Al Gore realize you have a life? Of course! So do it little by little! Take a moment, once a month even, and walk around your house to look for 3 things you could change to have your home be more environmentally friendly. Rome wasn’t built in a day!

Here are some things to look for:

Light bulbs- buy a pack of Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFLs). Have them on hand to switch out for the regular bulbs when they burn out. Did you know that if every home in the U.S. switched just one bulb, we would save enough energy to light 2.5 millions homes for one year??? That’s outrageous!

Where do you buy them? Target, Home Depot, and many local stores have them. Buy them online at Green Lights. They give 10% of their profits to green causes too! Double points for that!

Unplug things! Cell phone chargers are a major culprit! Don’t just unplug the phone from the charger, take that charger out of the socket! Chargers that are left plugged in are called vampire appliances. Did you know that 95% of the energy used by the charger is wasted? The charger doesn’t even know if there is a cell phone connected on the other end.

Use your drapes! Ok, this may sound hokey at first, but think it out…if the sun is shining through your glass windows, don’t you think it might heat up the room a little? And you have your AC on? Use your drapes- to keep the place cool away from the sun, or welcome the sun and use less heat!

Mind the gaps! Either check yourself, or call in a professional to make sure that there are no “leaks” in the house. Is everything insulated properly?

Turn off the water! No, we didn’t mean entirely! We aren’t that hardcore! But look and see when you can reduce water use! Does everyone in your house turn off the water when brushing their teeth? Did you know that the average person uses 2 gallons of water for brushing if the water is left running?

Use the SHORT CYCLE! Do you know that your dishes and clothes will get just as clean if you use the “quick wash” cycle? Unless you have feasted 3 days ago and let everything sit, you will be fine…try it! Test it out!

Is everything being recycled that could be? Would it help to put an extra can or box near the kids’ desk for recycleable trash?