Most try to do their part these days when it comes to recycling. This goes beyond a personal perception of whether it is right to do it and into something that has been mandated. Many cities are now requiring their citizens to recycle such as in New York City where recycling is mandated for all private properties.
Plastic bag bans have gone into effect for many states along with many other measures soon to follow suit. For those who are not subject to mandated recycling, it is still wise to consider how they can do their part.
With that said, there are a lot of wrong ways to recycle. While no good intention is wrong, it doesn’t mean it is always carried out properly. The environment will be helped more if there is more understanding of what can and cannot be recycled. In general, the items in this list are always safe to recycle:
- Bottles (plastic & glass**)
- Aluminum Cans
- Paper
- Cardboard
Some items are more important to recycle than others due to the effect on the environment. Things such as plastic bottles which hold many common household chemicals and solvents should be recycled. Recycling plastic can mean saving the environment from both global warming and soil spoilage. Most plastics are non-biodegradable which means plastics will not natural break down and will require many many years to break down into soil.
Cans can also be recycled; however, many people drink sodas from cans and then toss them in the garbage. Cans are made out of aluminum and these resources need to be preserved and recycled to be used over and over.
Paper and cardboard are made from lumber and these items can be recycled many times over. Trees help keep the air clean and also provide health benefits to animals and humans. The more paper and cardboard that can be recycled, the less trees that will need to cut down and milled for paper and cardboard uses.
Can Food Be Recycled?
Food can be made into compost which provides soil with necessary nutrients and minerals to mitigate over farming of soil. When farm land is over farmed it makes it hard and hard to produce food from the ground as needed.
What Should I Not Recycle?
- Plastic Bags (In a public recycling bin)
- Dirty Diapers
- Medical Waste
Plastic bags can be recycled; however, they cannot go through the same process and are not recommended to be placed with other recycled items. Plastic bags must be recycled by a special process for reuse. Medical waste and dirty diapers have organic material that can get someone ill and these items should not be put in a public recycling bin.
Recycling Can Bring Benefits If Done Correctly
It’s important to know the proper place to put recyclable items and where not to put non-recyclable items. Public recycling bins are best for paper, bottles, and tin. These are the most common items that people carry around with them that become used.
**Not every recycling location or municipality accepts glass. Please check with your local municipality or garbage collection company.
If you are looking for a used garbage truck to help in your recycling collection, contact us to learn more about our inventory. We offer an OEM garbage truck warranty on all of our reconditioned garbage trucks.