Why Healthy Recycling Practices Matter
Recycling isn’t only good for the world—recycling is also important for keeping your community and you healthy. Sorting your trash correctly reduces pollution, prevents dangerous materials from entering our environment, and makes your neighborhood cleaner and healthier for all of us.
2. Know What Goes Where: The Fundamentals of Sorting
Getting recycling on track begins with knowing what goes in each bin. The majority of locations, such as Beverly and Hillsborough County, have separate trash, recycling, and possibly compost bins. Clean plastic, glass, and metal containers typically go in the recycling bin with paper and cardboard.
But some items—such as plastic bags, greasy pizza boxes, or milk cartons lined in foil—frequently don’t fit into the recycling. These products either end up in the garbage or must be brought to special collection centers. Because regulations may vary from place to place, it’s always best to review your local recycling instructions.
3. The Most Common Recycling Blunders to Steer Clear Of
It’s simple to throw something into the recycling bin and think it’ll be okay, but certain products can be detrimental. For instance, plastic bags can clog up machinery at recycling centers, so they must never end up in your curbside collection.
Most supermarkets have a bin where you can deposit them, however. Other things to keep an eye out for are greasy takeaway containers, ceramics, mirrors, and shredded paper. To maintain a smooth operation at recycling facilities, ensure items are dry, clean, and loosely set in the bin, not wrapped in plastic.
4. Special Items: Hazardous Waste, Electronics, and Bulk Items
Waste comes in many shapes and sizes, and some waste does not fit so nicely into a trash or recycling bin. Hazardous materials such as batteries, paint, chemicals, and fluorescent bulbs require special handling.
Most cities, including Beverly, have collection days where you can drop these items off safely. Electronics like computers, TVs, and tablets must also go to special drop sites. For larger items like furniture or appliances, see if your city has bulk pickup or if you must arrange a collection in advance.
5. Composting for a Healthier Home and Planet
Composting is an awesome method of converting food waste and yard clippings into something beneficial, such as nutrient-dense soil. It also reduces the amount of waste that ends up in landfills. Some cities, including Beverly and San Mateo County, even have curbside composting.
Typically, you can add fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, eggshells, and dirty paper such as napkins and pizza boxes. Watch out, though—do not compost pet waste, cooking oil, or packaging labeled as “compostable” unless it is certified. These can contaminate the composting process.
6. Making Your Waste Area Safe and Clean
Keeping your trash and recycling area tidy keeps your home secure and your community clean. Use sturdy, rodent-proof bins with tight-fitting lids. Don’t overload your bins—there are often regulations regarding weight and size to protect sanitation workers from injury and prevent spills.
Ensure that you place your bins out on the proper collection day and return them inside after that. If you have additional trash, consider obtaining legitimate overflow bags or ordering a special pickup rather than simply leaving bags on the curb.
7. Community Resources and Events
Most communities provide useful services to assist in recycling. You may find there are events for recycling Styrofoam, composting workshops, or hazardous waste disposal. If you don’t know what to do with something, your waste management office or local health department is a good place to start.
Some will even allow you to email a photo of an item and assist you in determining where it goes. Being an informed and active citizen is one of the best means of keeping your house—and your entire neighborhood—healthy and clean.