We’re wrapping up the series on Sell, Donate or Trash. Those are our 3 options when it comes to getting rid of the things we no longer want or need. The word TRASH is loosely used in this situation. Before you commit your unwanted book collection to the county dump make sure you know your options regarding waste. We throw away or waste a lot in our day to day lives so the last thing we want to do is knowingly send items to a landfill that can be recycled. According to earth911.com “of the estimated 251 million tons of consumer solid waste generated each year in the U.S., approximately 32.5 percent of the trash is recycled or composted, 12.5 percent is burned and the remaining 55 percent is buried in landfills”. “The purpose of a landfill is to isolate waste from its surrounding environment, preventing water contamination and contact with air. However, landfills are not built to decompose trash,” this is the reason we must think before we toss! For more information on landfills check out earth911.com’s article title The Lowdown on Landfills. It’s very educational and eye-opening!
Making smart decisions when it comes to our trash is easy. First, look to see if you can recycle the item. Contact your county or community trash removal company to determine their policy on recycling. If you’re unsure if something is recyclable there are 2 resources to check out:
- Earth911.com – great site that is resource for all things “green”. Simply enter in your zip code,the item in question and the site will generate a list of places near you where you can recycle that item. This site is a great time saver when it comes to recycling those odd ball or hazardous items such as paint or record albums.
- RealSimple.com has an alphabetized webpage listing items and where to toss them. Along with most items listed Real Simple provides a resource link for more information on recycling or properly disposing of that item.
Day to day recycling of paper, aluminum and plastic can be overwhelming in your home. There are products available to simplify the storage and sorting (if necessary) of your recyclables. However you do it, do not be overwhelmed by recycling at home, keep it simple. Click here for tips on simplifying storage at home.
For more information on recycling:
CatalogChoice.org
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