Recycling: 4 Things You Could Be Doing Better

Chapter 10 is called "Buying, Using, and Disposing", and it brings to light many important points regarding our own habits as consumers. In an ever-changing world, our options are practically limitless. No matter the lifestyle or personal taste, it has never been more easy (or difficult) to make a purchase.

What has remained fairly consistent, however, is what we can do after. When the life of our beloved product is up (or perceived to be), we can do much more than simply throw away. While you may have brought 30 Hallmark cards while they were on sale, you can at least feel good about your splurge when you realize it's time to put them away.

1. Don't Be So Plastic

Beware.

Plastic bags. So much use can be the cause of so much trouble, believe it or not. And it isn't that we don't have the technology to recycle them, but these little demons tend to end up where they shouldn't and can cause an array of machinery issues. If you can, recycle them separate from your other items. And please, don't put your recyclables in them either.

2. Styrofoam 

This one is easy. It can't be recycled.  Don't use it.

True.

3. The "Scrunch" Test

Typically there are two types of plastics: the hard and the soft. And while I could go over the nitty-gritty differentiation of the two, you can use this rule of thumb to help you make the best recycling choice:

Take your plastic and try to scrunch it. If it was easy, it probably shouldn't be recycled with the rest of your items. You are better off throwing them in "red" bins or opting to shop locally and use your own (eco) methods of packaging and bagging.

4. When In Doubt, Throw It Out

In a worst case scenario, it's best to simply throw out what you are unsure of. You could very well jeopardize an entire recycling process by not doing so. But if you feel a bit of guilt about it, you can always reach out to sources for educating yourself on recycling or go out and plant a tree. That's always cool.