Keep calm when you can’t Recycle

Relax, you have many options when it comes to waste disposal & recycling!

Just because something can’t go into recycle containers doesn’t mean it has to be garbage. Here are 6 eco-friendly alternatives that will keep you calm.

#1 Reuse

Find new ways to use an item that is about to go into the trash. Use bread bags or take out containers for food storage. Wrap old foam cups around your pipes for extra insulation. These kinds of ideas are not only good for the environment, but also save you money!

#2 Donate

Lots of items still have useful life in them. Replacing your television or phone with the latest model? Donate the old ones to a charity in your area. Those books you are clearing off your shelves could go to your local library or school. Clothes that might be out of fashion for you would be greatly appreciated by a homeless or domestic abuse shelter. But be careful. Some of the recycle containers in parking lots that imply they are for charity are really owned by private, for-profit stores. Get to know the organization before donating.

#3 Sell

While donation is nice, we can all use extra cash in our pockets. Selling an unwanted item on Craigslist, on a bidding site or at a garage sale generates some income and gives someone a great bargain on a “gently used” item. Practically anything that can be donated could be sold instead.

#4 Compost

Food scraps, coffee grounds and other organic items can be composted into rich fertilizer. You don’t need a garden to benefit from compost. The lawn, bushes and trees in your yard will appreciate the nutrition. Compositing requires a little effort but not as much as you might think. The process also requires “brown” items in the mix, and that could include the shredded paper or greasy pizza boxes that you can’t put in recycle containers.

#5 Leave It

Do you really need to dispose of it? We aren’t suggesting hording as a way of life but sometimes we get rid of things for no reason. One good example is grass clippings. Rather than bagging and disposing of them, leave them on the lawn after you mow. They will degrade and add nitrogen to the soil, feeding the grass and saving you the cost of fertilizer.

#6 Stop The Source

For small purchases, refuse the bag. Tell the telephone company to stop leaving directories you don’t use. The best way to dispose of waste is not to generate it in the first place.

What other alternatives than recycle containers can you think of for your unwanted items? Think outside the bin to come up with creative solutions for waste disposal.