One of the positive things from 2020 was that people understood more about climate change and its effects. For example, as travel grew to a crawl and people stayed home, they realized how we lowered carbon emissions. Moreover, as more people worked from home, they learned how they didn’t need a lot of clothing and how much they owned! So, that got us thinking. What could we share with our followers? It occurred to us that we could write a piece about what can be recycled and where.
You see, it’s not that people don’t want to repurpose or recycle. No. In fact, many people would love to know where they could give away stuff they no longer need. Still, many people just don’t know where to do it. In this article, you’ll get ideas on what can be recycled. But, you’ll also learn the critical next step, where to do it!
5 Things That Can Be Recycled and Where
1. Athletic Shoes and Sneakers
Did you know that one of the items that take up a lot of space in landfills are athletic shoes? Unfortunately, textiles, which include sneakers and clothes, make up for much of what’s in landfills. But, this doesn’t have to be the case. You see, in developing nations, people living in poverty need sneakers. Millions walk as their primary mode of transportation because they can’t afford cars or scooters. So, comfortable athletic shoes make a big difference! Therefore, by recycling your sneakers, you could make a huge difference!
When you recycle sneakers and athletic shoes, you could do three crucial things. First, you get paid for sneaker recycling right. Second, you keep good sneakers out of landfills. As we know, that helps the planet. Finally, you extend the life of the athletic shoes you collect. In other words, the sneakers get shipped to small business owners around the world, working to escape poverty. The small business owners then sell the footwear to make a living. How could you recycle athletic shoes in this manner? Just check out a high-quality sneaker recycling program.
2. Recycling Clothing
As we mentioned earlier, clothing is one of the things that’s taking up space in landfills. But, many people don’t know where they could give away items they no longer need. As parents know, children go through clothes very quickly and sometimes grow through two or three clothing sizes in a year. But, other textiles could also end up in landfills. For instance, think of towels or old dish rags that you may have thrown in the trash in the past, or even old curtains.
You don’t need to get rid of stuff any longer by tossing it in the garbage. Many people have started to become guilty every time they throw a piece of clothing they don’t want into the trash because they know there has to be a better way. Wouldn’t it feel great, especially during this time of economic stress, to see that you’re doing something that helps families and people in need in our country? Well, now you can help recycle the clothing you no longer need. All you have to do is find a partner that does it, and in the process, it also helps cause-related groups.
3. Books and Cards
Sure, we live in a world of e-readers and tablets. But, many people still love the feel of a book. Still, others love sending people they know cards in the mail. Unfortunately, those books and cards come from trees that create the paper for the printing. Although there are efforts to replant trees, it’s still essential to be mindful of what we do with books and cards. So, if you have a couple of piles of books and even cards that you would like to get out of your house, think about recycling them!
First, when it comes to books, you could sell them. Have you ever thought of that? There are several places where you could sell your used books. But, if you’re not up for selling your books, there’s something else you could do. You could give them to your local library, or you could donate them to your local shelters or nonprofits for people in need. As for the cards, how about giving them away as art? You could carefully cut out the front of most cards, frame them, and there you go; you have a gift for someone that you recycled!
4. Recycle Your Electronics
Many people love getting new electronic devices, such as smartphones, televisions, and tablets. And while that’s all well and good, there’s a problem. The parts of those electronic devices could become toxic and dangerous as they decompose in landfills. When that happens, it could seep into the water or land and affect towns and neighborhoods of families living close to these types of places. Yes, there’s a better way to recycle your electronic items than just throwing them in the trash!
Corporations that produce these items understand that they have to lead recycling efforts. And fortunately, they have created trade-in and recycling programs for consumers. For instance, most Americans carry tablets, smartphones, and other digital devices. Microsoft has a trade-in and recycling program for its electronics. And, if you happen to prefer or use Apple devices, you could also trade those in for the latest models. Finally, don’t forget that you could donate all of your electronics to nonprofits and shelters once you’ve deleted data.
5. Everything From Christmas Trees to Bulbs and Motor Oil
Our last item for recycling is a little bit of everything. If you check out Recycling Centers’ website, you could find a list of the top 50 things that you could recycle at home. If you take a look at that list, you’re going to find stuff such as Christmas trees and even motor oil (think about that once you change the oil). For instance, you could recycle items such as your bulbs, ink cartridges, and even your bathtub!
However, why we like the Recycling Centers site is because it tells you a few things. First, as we mentioned, it has a great list of everyday items you could recycle. But, more importantly, it tells you the local recycling places near you. All you have to do is input your zip code, and you get the list in your area.
Finally, don’t forget, there’s a lot of need in our communities, and you could help. For example, domestic shelters could use your old cell phones once you’ve deleted all of the data. As we mentioned, you could recycle your books in nonprofits and charities that help vulnerable people and families. In short, what can be recycled and where takes a little creative thinking and googling. In the process, you could do something good for someone else and help the planet. It only takes a few minutes of your time to make a difference.
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