Recycling is not only a way to reduce your impact, but also a great way to prevent marine debris! When you make the choice to recycle your used plastic, glass, metal, and paper, these materials are diverted from landfills and the environment, and turned into new and usable items. Plastic materials are especially versatile and can be turned into many new products, including construction materials, jackets, or even carpeting.
You may be asking, "but how do I recycle correctly?" Well, that depends on the recycling facilities in your local community! Remember that not all facilities are the same, technology changes, and many areas of the country provide different options. Some can take almost any item with the recycling symbol on it, all mixed together in one bin, and separate them by machine or by hand. Other recycling facilities may not be able to handle certain types of materials or single-stream recyclables (when all materials are mixed together when collected), instead requiring you to separate your items before they hit the curb.
Find out if recycling is available where you live by heading to your city or county website. You can find information on services available to you, as well as guidelines on how to recycle right. Rather than “wish-cycling” or guessing what is okay to recycle in your area, let’s work to become more informed about recycling options in our neighborhoods!