In honor of Earth Day this year, below is a list of items you can recycle that I bet you didn’t know you could! And it feels so good to put less trash into landfills than ever before, doesn’t it? 🤓 Have fun!
First Things First
The first and most important thing you can do in the way of recycling is to get clear on what items are eligible for your weekly city recycling pick-up, since this is the easiest and most convenient for you! Take the five minutes and do a Google search to familiarize yourself with everything you can put out for pick-up in your city. It most likely includes more items than you realize.
Plastic Bags
Plastic bags include those that you get at shops and grocery stores, and also dry cleaning bags, bread bags, sandwich bags, freezer bags, produce bags, newspaper bags, and the plastic outer wrap that wraps beverage cases, toilet paper, diapers, paper towels, etc. Not sure? Here’s the test: if you can scrunch up the plastic bag in your hand, it’s recyclable 🙌
Where can you recycle? In many cities and towns, you can recycle plastic bags at participating grocery stores and big box stores like Target, Lowe’s, Home Depot, etc. Contact your local stores to check or use this online plastic recycling search tool. In my town of Ann Arbor, MI, our local Drop-Off Station accepts plastic bags as well as bubble wrap.
Batteries
This includes standard batteries that you use in appliances i.e. AA, D, etc. as well as cell phone batteries, rechargeable batteries, and e-bike batteries.
Where can you recycle? Use this handy online search tool to find a participating shop in your region. In my town, Target accepts batteries.
Clothing & Shoes
First, if your clothing or shoes are in relatively good condition, you should donate them to the Salvation Army, Goodwill, or any other charitable organization to pass them on to a new owner. Remember, just because it’s “worn” to you, doesn’t mean it will be to someone else – we all have different standards. If your clothing has holes in it or is stained, then it’s time to recycle it. When clothing is recycled, we often refer to it as “textiles.”
Where can you recycle? Many towns have drop-off points for donating your clothing. In SE Michigan, we have the Drop-Off Station. Do an online search to see if there are textile recycling drop-off points in your town! If you have a Levi’s store in your area, many accept donated old jeans for recycling.
Styrofoam
This means all hard styrofoam that you see used for packaging, food carryout containers, etc. Soft, bendable styrofoam is not recyclable – only the hard kind.
Where can you recycle? In SE Michigan, you can recycle your Styrofoam at our Drop-Off Station. Additionally, many Goodwill stores accept Styrofoam for recycling, so check your local Goodwill. Lastly, use this online Styrofoam recycling drop-off search tool to learn about additional drop-off locations.
Down the Rabbit Hole…
If you want to go deeper into recycling even more household items, two great resources for doing so are TerraCycle and Earth911. Using these websites, you can recycle even more items, including but not limited to: electronics, razors, chip bags, paint cans, art supplies, LED string lights, kitchen gear, coffee capsules (K-Cups), and so much more!
For Extra Credit… Composting!
What is composting? It’s taking items like fruit and veggie scraps, egg shells, coffee grounds, and more and turning them into rich, usable soil! If you’re into gardening, you may enjoy the great rewards of having a compost bin in your backyard. My mom often talks about how incredible and rich the soil is that she makes through her compost bin. That being said, it’s not for everyone. This is why I encourage you to look around and see if compost drop-off is accepted anywhere in your area, or at any community gardens. I like keeping a paper bag in my freezer where I put all my fruit/veggie scraps. It’s easy and keeps it from getting stinky. This online compost map may help you find a compost drop-off near you.
In Closing
Doing our part to keep as much of our trash out of landfills as we can takes effort – no mistake. But the reward of knowing that the material you use are getting used again as opposed to going straight to a landfill is incredibly rewarding. Remember, taking one small step to change your habits is far better than nothing at all! Start small, see how it feels, and then go from there. Before you know it, you might find yourself a recycling queen 😉
