Recycling is one of the best things we can do to take care of the planet, and it’s easy with a little effort. Learning how to recycle properly is something everyone should do. Depending on what you’re recycling and where you live, you can even make money by recycling. Once you figure out how to recycle different types of materials, it becomes a simple part of your daily routine. If you want to do your part to protect the environment and preserve valuable resources, here’s everything you need to know about how to recycle.
Why Is Recycling Important?
It’s important to recycle for several reasons. First and foremost, recycling helps reduce our environmental impact because we can repurpose and reuse so many materials. Instead of mining more metals or using precious resources to make more plastic, those materials can be recycled and reused.
Recycling is also important because there are limited quantities of every material. With so many people on the planet, it’s difficult to keep up with the demand for certain minerals and materials. Recycling allows us to reuse those materials in other products, which helps the supply of raw materials keep up with the high demand.
In many cities and states, there are even convenient programs that make it easier to recycle.
Recycling at Home
Recycling at home is one of the best things you can do to reduce your environmental impact. You can typically have your recycling picked up on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, making it easy to separate your trash and recycling.
If you live in a single-family home, you can talk to your garbage pickup service about getting a recycling bin as well. You can put several types of recyclable materials in these bins, and you may even have a glass bin on the side. Your recycling will be picked up regularly, so all you have to do is sort it and throw it in the bin.
Even if you’re in an apartment or condo, there are usually recycling services provided by the facility you’re living in. Most apartments and condos have community trash and recycling, so you can get rid of your garbage and recycling without having to schedule service with a garbage or recycling company.
If you don’t have a recycling pickup service, Corridor Recycling can help. Learn more about our public recycling services and the materials we accept.
Recycling in the Workplace
Recycling is particularly important for businesses because they can create so much waste. If you’re a business owner, it’s your responsibility to make sure you’re recycling as much as possible to comply with regulations and minimize your environmental impact.
Workplace recycling varies based on what you’re doing, but it all starts with collecting and organizing materials. For papers and documents, you can use a shredder. For large amounts of cardboard, we offer commercial recycling equipment including balers and compactors. You can also rent a bin in various sizes so you have a place to put all of your garbage and recycling.
Keep in mind that there are laws and regulations when it comes to how your business recycles. Depending on the waste you’re producing, you could face fines and other penalties if you don’t recycle properly.
E-Waste Recycling
E-waste is one of the biggest environmental issues facing the world today. Cell phones, computers, and other electronics are made from scarce and valuable materials, so reclaiming those materials is essential. Unfortunately, a lot of people throw electronics away, which can cause damage to the environment and affect the supply of precious metals.
Whenever you’re getting rid of electronics, you should take them to an E-waste recycling center. Electronics are filled with precious metals such as gold, silver, platinum, and palladium. An E-waste recycling center can extract important materials from electronics so they can be used to produce more modern electronics. This even applies to TVs and larger appliances. Even your batteries should be recycled as E-waste.
One thing to keep in mind is that certain electronics may not be accepted. If you have decades-old electronics that use outdated technology, recycling them may be dangerous. TVs that were made before 1991 as well as cathode ray tube TVs may contain harmful materials, so you should treat them as hazardous waste.
Bottles and Cans
In California, you pay a deposit when you purchase a can or bottle of soda. When that can or bottle is empty and clean, you can take it back to a recycling center and get paid for it.
If you regularly drink canned or bottled beverages, you should be cleaning and saving the cans when you’re done. The California Redemption Value — or CRV — varies based on the size of the container. When you bring your old bottles and cans to Corridor Recycling, we can pay you between 5 and 10 cents per container.
Scrap Metal Recycling
Certain materials can be recycled, but the process is a little different. You can recycle several types of scrap metal, including copper, brass, stainless steel, and aluminum. You can even get paid quite a bit for valuable metals like copper.
If you work in construction or another industry that generates a lot of scrap metal, make sure you’re saving that scrap metal — if you’re allowed to. Once you have a decent amount of metal saved up, bring it to a recycling center to have it graded and weighed.
At Corridor Recycling, we can help you process all your scrap metal and get paid for it. You can contact us to learn more about the materials and everyday items we accept.
Make Recycling Easy With Corridor Recycling
Recycling might seem like a lot of work, but it’s simpler than you might expect. With a little effort, you can make recycling part of your daily routine. You can even earn some extra money by returning bottles and cans and recycling scrap metal.
Corridor Recycling provides both residential and commercial recycling services, including commercial equipment. Contact us today to find the ideal recycling solution for your situation.