ways to recycle

More Ways to Recycle

* Today's article was written by: Sam Jones writes on environmental and green energy issues. He keeps an eye on energy suppliers and the cheapest electricity prices and to give his readers the latest information and offer

There are plenty of signs and advertisements that urge us to recycle, but the truth is that recycling goes far beyond simply dropping unwanted paper into a bin. That type of recycling is of course important, but when you start investigating it, it is really just the tip of the iceberg. What can be recycled and where can you go from here?

Recycling Clothes
Remember that recycling means putting things back into use so that resources can be conserved. If you have clothes that don't fit anymore or if you have clothing that you simply no longer wear, consider taking them to a donation site instead of throwing them away. Clothing production requires a great deal of energy and natural resources, so putting some back into the world if you no longer need it is a great way recycle.

Getting Rid of Electronics
Chances are good that you are already familiar with places that allow you to recycle batteries and cell phones, but what about the rest of your electronics? Whether you have a laptop that has finally given up the ghost or you have a printer that just won't do its job any more, the electronics that you no longer need can also be recycled. Call around to your local computer repair places or contact a recycling center for more information.

Water Recycling
If you are willing to go one step further, you can reroute the water in your home so that you can get more than one use out of it. For example, some people choose to set up the plumbing in their home so that the runoff from the bathtub gets used to flush the toilet. If you do not want to get into the plumbing, consider adjusting your rain spouts so that they run into a barrel, allowing you to use the collected rainwater to water your lawn or garden. If you do use rain barrels, remember to keep them covered so that you do not encourage mosquitoes to spawn inside them.

Plastic Bags
When you go to the grocery store, you often hear the refrain “paper or plastic?” The problem is that plastic bags are bad news for anyone who is energy conscious. Plastic bags are not popular at recycling centers because they can hurt or hamper the machines, so recycling them is often impossible. If you want to make sure that you do not need to worry about recycling your plastic bags, bring a cloth bag along instead. If you need to use plastic bags, keep them around to use as garbage bags or bring them back to the store to reuse them.

Compost
If you have a garden and you want to reduce the food waste that you produce, consider putting together a compost bin. While a compost bin takes some time to get started, you 'll find that it is a great way to reintroduce nitrates back into the soil. Any vegetable or fruit leavings can be introduced until a compost pile, as can egg shells, coffee grounds and grass trimmings.

Recycling starts at home, so see what options are open to you! 

Learn more about recycling through the Brummet's Trash Talk - It's Easy To Be Green book series (print or ebook) via: http://brummet.ca/store.html

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