Four Things You Should Know When You First Start Recycling

When it comes to doing good things to make the planet better, recycling is likely one of the first actions that come to mind.  However, do you recycle in your home?  How about in your business?  When you notice that the recycling efforts are not there, it is up to you to step in and educate yourself on how to change this.  Our company offers quality paper and cardboard recycling in Orlando to increase these efforts community-wide, and we are here to help you get started.  These are a few facts that you should know when you first start recycling.

Throw Away Small Things

As a rule of thumb, you should aim to recycle materials that are larger than a credit card.  Materials like drinking straws, jar lids, paper clips, and coffee pods.  Because of their size, they can get in the way of the process to determining which materials are able to be repurposed in the recycling facilities.  These small materials can shut down processing machines, which can make the process take much longer.

Try to Go Bagless

Many people have heard that it is beneficial to avoid using plastic bags, like those from the grocery store.  However, these items still find their way into recycling bins.  When these bags show up in the recycling facility, the entire bin is considered trash.  In fact, even people that use plastic bags to deliver their recyclables to the facility itself have contaminated everything inside the bag.  Employees are required to throw them away immediately.

Keep You Materials Clean and Dry

In order to have materials that can be reused, they also need to be clean and dry when they are placed in your recycling bin.  This means that you will need to not only clean out your jars, cans, and containers, but you also need to sit them out to dry before throwing them in your recycling bin.  By ensuring that these materials are clean and dry, you avoid destroying or contaminating other materials that are in the bin.

Avoid Recycling Mixed Materials

Did you know that even a coffee cup that is made of two different plastics cannot be recycled?  Even if both plastics are recyclable materials, the cup itself is made from mixed materials.  All mixed materials are considered trash, and they will be thrown away when they make their way to the recycling center.  Because these materials can never be separated, they will just be thrown away.

These are just a few facts that start to graze the surface to better understand how to get started with your recycling practices in your home and at your work.  By increasing the amount of cardboard recycling in Orlando, you can truly start to make a difference in your community.  Contact us to hear more information about recycling today.