Recycling Tips Everyone Should Know

By Bryan Kittman | March 27, 2019

Recycling is one of the best ways to do your part to save the environment by cutting back on unnecessary waste in our landfills. Luckily, recycling is something that can easily be implemented into your daily life. San Diego offers tons of resources to dispose of unused items safely. However, if you’re looking to up your game, check out these recycling tips everyone should know.

Reduce consumption

This may not seem like recycling, but making a reduction to your overall consumption of goods every day can make recyclinga little less daunting. By having and using less ‘stuff’, you have less to worry about. Skip the disposable plates and cutlery at your next party, and swap out paper towels and napkins for linens. You’ll get a lot more use out of these products, and contribute to a lot less waste.

Recycle old tech products

If you’re like many, you probably have a drawer in your home filled with random old gadgets and tons of tangled wires. Technology is one of the most filling objects in our landfills today, and they’re loaded with batteries, chemicals, and other harmful materials. Clear out your junk drawer, and take it to a safe recycling center that will dispose of these items properly. You should also invest in some rechargable batteries for your remote controls, flashlights, etc.

Compost

Also known as food recycling, composting is the process of turning food waste into organic material that can be used for fertilizer. Composting is a great way to conserve food waste by fertilizing your yard or garden. Big restaurants are even hopping on board by bringing their food waste that would have otherwise taken up space in a landfill to commercial compost facilities.

Recycle water

This is not an easy feat, but it’s not impossible. Especially in areas by the beach in San Diego, outdoor showers are a no-brainer. Use recycled rainwater in your outdoor shower. Skip the soap, and you can re-use your outdoor shower water to hose your garden.

Have a recycle bin in every room

Most people will have a recycling bin in their kitchen, but having bins in every room in the house ensures you’re never far from having the chance to recycle. It also serves as an important psychological reminder.

Understand what can be recycled

Plastic

Depending on where you live, recycling facilities accept certain kinds of materials. Plastic tends to be the trickiest since it comes in various forms. While most plastics can be recycled, some aren’t accepted if there isn’t a local manufacturer that can reuse the material. It’s important to know which types of plastics can be recycled, and which ones should go in the trash. Good news! Styrofoam food and drink containers are now accepted in the blue bin in San Diego!

Paper and cardboard

All sorts of paper are acceptable for recycling. This includes wrapping paper, magazines, mail, etc. Cardboard is good to go as well, as long as it isn’t covered in fats or other leftover foods.

Glass

Most glass can be recycled, just be sure to rinse them well and be sure they aren’t cracked.

Aluminum & Metal

Aluminum soda cans should definitely go in the recycling bin, along with canned food containers, and other metal items. Just be sure to rinse the containers properly, and be cautious of recycling items that once held toxic chemicals like paint, motor oil, etc. Household hazardous waste products need to be disposed of properly. You can call 858-694-7000 for disposal options.