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Writer's pictureAzalea Brown

Take Action: What Items can be Recycled?

Happy Sustainable September!


I have always had trouble knowing what can be recycled and what is just supposed to be trashed. Here is a list I put together to show what items can be recycled and what shouldn't.

 

What CAN be recycled.......

  1. Newspaper, magazines, and paper

  2. Cardboard Boxes

  3. Paper bags

  4. Glass Bottles and Jars

  5. Envelopes

  6. Red plastic cups marked #6

  7. Plastic Water bottles marked #1-#7

  8. Metal cans


*For plastic water bottles and red plastic cups, you can check for the numbers at the bottom of the bottle/cup to see if it is recyclable.



What CANNOT be recycled.......

  1. Plastic bags (ends up in landfills and the ocean. Can also not go through recycling machines because they get stuck)

  2. Pizza boxes (grease stains)

  3. Food

  4. Styrofoam (Expanded polystyrene cannot be recycled and some styrofoam cups and plates still have food on them which cannot be recycled)

  5. Wax cereal and cracker box liners (Wax cannot be recycled and it ends up disintegrating)

  6. Paper towels and napkins (made with wood, cardboard, and paper which are broken down and it is hard for them to be recycled)

  7. Plastic Wrap (wax)

  8. Plastic water bottle tops (Is a #5 plastic made from polypropylene which is hard to be recycled because of the hard plastic.)

  9. Lightbulbs and electronics (can pollute water and the earth. Light bulbs can just be thrown in the household trash. For more information on how to dispose of a particular lightbulb, go to https://www.homedepot.com/c/ab/how-to-dispose-of-lightbulbs/9ba683603be9fa5395fab901b263d806)

 

There are so many other items that can and can't be recycled. If you ever want to know what is good to toss in your recycle bins, contact your city's trash and recycle, and they can supply you with a list of items that can be recycled and items that are best to be trashed.


-Azalea Brown





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Tilajah Michelle
Tilajah Michelle
Oct 01, 2021

Awesome information!

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